


The Only One Who Can Beat Me Is You

by May_Kaiba



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: F/M, Kissing, Kuroko's basketball - Freeform, kuroko no basuke - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-03-19 15:40:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 24,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13707486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/May_Kaiba/pseuds/May_Kaiba
Summary: You are a very smart girl; You can see the smallest details of a person behavior, and easily predict their next move. Until you meet this one person who you can't predict - Aomine Daiki - and experience love for the first time in your life...Hope you like it :)





	1. Change

   Special; but not in the least arrogant, wise; but apparently very young! She was the girl that everyone admired, the girl that all the parents around the world dreamed of having… She was me.  
   My mother used to tell me that we learn 25% from our teachers, 25% from ourselves, 25% from our friends and 25% from time. She was wrong; or at least those numbers doesn’t work for someone like me; I see everything, I learn from everything; I can tell which leafs has fell from what tree just by looking. I can tell when someone driving a bicycle is going to take a turn, or going to fall. I don’t predict the future; I’m simply a good observer. Like I said; I’m the girl that all the parents around the world dream of having.  
   Yet in the darkness of my soul, I silently complain that nothing in my life changes. I’m always the first in my class, and I’m also always alone, I no longer want to decipher the mystery of life; but choose instead to be part of it.  
   The change only happens when we go against everything we’re accustomed to do; when I first came to Touou; it was an easy matter, it only required an unconditional love, which doesn’t fear rejection, suffering or loss, mainly because whatever happens or doesn’t happen would be equally gratifying, all I need to know is that I’m capable of love.  
   The ace of the generation of miracles – or at least that’s what they call him – freshman in the very same class I attend. Typical blue hair, dark blue eyes; he was hard to miss, yet he wasn’t something.  
   He wasn’t.  
   On my first week I logged in the academy website to get my homework, I found videos of him in the basketball match, I didn’t even know he was an athletic - although he had a body of a one – I quietly watched the video so that Andrea – my mother – wouldn’t notice, and that’s when I saw the person he really was, I was taken by his aura, the presence he had in the court, the way he moved; it didn’t need someone like me to analyse that, because anyone with the least knowledge would un-hesitantly call him… PERFECT; he was Aomine Daiki, and that was half a semester from now.  
   “I won’t be able to come pick you up later; can you come back alone honey?” my mother said.  
   “Sure;” I answered stepping out of the car. She waved good bye for me and I pretended not to notice; she knows that I do this all the time, yet she never minds; because she is fully aware that there is something broken between us, something irreparable.  
   I continued my way to the class, as usual I’m the last one to arrive; only ten seconds before it starts.  
   “Always on time Kira-chan” the teacher said from behind me, I ignored him and took my seat. Teachers are so lame; they do their best to be nice while no one bothers, they teach us but no one listens; I’m sitting here in my chair at the back of the class, and all I do is watching sleeping Aomine, while he’s – by definition – asleep, and everyone else is pretending to listen, pretending to take notes while the teachers play dump; people would rather lie to themselves than to face their failure.  
   Just another typical day; wasteful hours, we take little doses of boredom then we head to our homes and overdose the medicine, and repeat that process until we become addicted to it. Now I have to go home to finish the cycle; the only thing that my mother does is to take me to school, and then bring me back home, and she can’t do it well.  
   I sighed as I walked down the street, still not far from school when I sensed someone coming from behind me; more than one person and their footsteps became faster as they approached me. I felt one of them grip my back bag, so I immediately took it off and he tossed it in the ground; if I didn’t do that I would be accompanying it in the ground by now.  
   “Mommy’s not coming to pick you up today dummy?” said one of them.  
   “Aw and I thought you needed two bags for school smartass!” said the other.  
   I calmly looked at them in the eye; bullies hate it when their victims eye contact them; it makes them feel that they’re wasting their effort, and the whole propaganda they’re doing to feel strong is meaningless, then their real emptiness comes into focus and they become the weak party.  
   “You know that’s a paradox; you should decide whether I’m a dummy or a smartass?” I said now they’re uncomfortable with the look I gave them.  
   In ten seconds they’ll walk away, I started counting in my mind; ten, nine, eight… I felt a figure coming from behind, how didn’t I see that coming? He’s so fast that before I look behind he already passed me; he punched the first guy then gripped the collar of the other leaving me rendered speechless; not understanding anything for the first time in my life, he was Aomine Daiki.  
   “Why don’t you find someone your size,” he shouted after the two guys now they ran away, then picked up my bag and gave it to me.  
   “Are you okay Emiyan-chan?” he knows my name; of course we’re on the same class, but we never even had an eye contact.  
   I took my bag from him, took a deep breath to control my heart beats and thank him, but I heard a high pitched voice coming from behind; “Aomine-kun, wait for me.”  
   It was the pink haired clown that followed him wherever he goes – Satsuki Momoi – she thinks he’s her property or something. I don’t want to stick around for this, “Yes…” I answered Aomine then ran away.  
   “You’re welcome;” he shouted after me.  
   So in the darkness of my soul I find myself complain that nothing in my life changes, but the question is why? Because I’ve always managed to control the force that transforms everything, so that my life can go on without being faced by any major challenges; even that now change has come knocking the doors of my consciousness, I simply played deaf, gave it my back and ran away.


	2. Meant to Meet Again

   I crossed the street to the drinks shop near the school; I waited five minutes for Andrea to come pick me up but she didn’t, she didn’t even tell me that she’s going to be late; so I decided to get myself something to drink, I paid the cashier and as I turned to leave I hit the person behind me splitting half my juice on him; it was Aomine, I didn’t even notice that he stood there; why can’t I notice him? He’s just a human; he doesn’t even do anything special; maybe he’s just… fast.  
   “Are you always like this?” he said cleaning his jacket with a handkerchief.  
   “You’re the one who came into my way, besides why don’t you just take off your jacket!”  
   “No! I mean; you’re too arrogant to apologize and yesterday you ran away without even thanking me.” He said following me outside the drinks shop, of course in my mind I saw him turn the other direction and walk away.  
   “Did I have to?” I said so he might get angry and leave; I don’t feel comfortable next to people I don’t predict; so I try to push him away by pretending to be arrogant, or am I arrogant? I think it doesn’t matter; because I believe that modesty is an extreme shape of arrogance.  
   “Well I drove those bullies away from you;” he said taking off his jacket.  
   “I don’t think your presence made any difference though; they were leaving neither ways.” I just wish I could disappear now, why did it have to be him? Of course if it had been anyone else, all of this wouldn’t have happened from the first place, I don’t understand why he’s unpredictable to me!  
   “Tsk, whatever…” his sentence was cut by Momoi waving her hands for him across the street.  
   “Aw look! Your bodyguard is here,” I said teasing him although I was annoyed she came.  
   “She’s not my bodyguard;” he answered after he sighed ignoring her. “Listen! Why don’t you come to our basketball match later today?”  
   Today is the second time we talk to each other – if we count yesterday incident a conversation – and he asks me to go to the basketball match! Besides he’s avoiding looking at me; I started blushing and looked away, did he notice that I always stare at him at class or what?  
   “Yeah; she’s more like a pink haired clown right?” I said changing the subject.  
   He looked away but this time to hide his smile; “so about the match; you’re coming? I'm sure you could find some time between the Iliad and the Odyssey.” he said sarcastically and I couldn’t help smiling at his joke.  
   “I’m surprised you know the book though, but tell me; you play basketball?” I asked him playing dump, which wasn’t 100% a role play; after all my I.Q. drops dramatically when Aomine is around.  
   “Yes,” he said while his voice became quieter and his heart beats faster; he must be angry now, but still he hid that behind his boredom expression. I used to wonder why he sticks to that face! But aren’t we all bored? Fated to that endless repetition of nothingness; he is just one of the few people who had the courage to admit that.  
   “I’m sorry; I don’t have time for this.” I said mocking him, but then I noticed Andrea’s car approaching us; now she is going to lecture me for the rest of the day, “I have to go,” I told Aomine then crossed the street and got into the car.  
   “Who was that?” Andrea asked.  
   “It was no one;” I simply said without looking at her.  
   “Then I don’t want you wasting your time with no one, is that understood?” here we go; her heart beats are increasing, high blood pressure; she’s not going to stop talking soon, sometimes I wish she got a life.  
   “Is that understood?” she said this time with a higher tone.  
   “Yes.”  
   “He doesn’t even fit your standards.”  
   “You mean the standards you made for me!” I said almost voiceless but she managed to hear me. We got home and I headed to my room immediately, I changed my clothes then started doing my homework, so I’ve got a wall wide mirror that I study in it using black and blue markers.  
   I wrote down a couple of equations then lowered my marker and stared blankly at my reflection in the mirror, but I wasn’t looking at myself, I saw someone that I hate; someone coward, I had a chance today – again - to get closer to the only person I’m interested in, but I passed it by, now I feel like my heart will burst of disgust because all I want is to experience the joy and the adventure of being someone who is beyond the image reflected in the mirror.  
   I checked my watch and it was 4:00; the match should’ve already begun, and until I get there I would be missing the first quarter. I took a deep breath as if I was trying to stop the time while I get the courage to leave, and it worked; I put on my sneakers and went outside, but before I reach the front door Andrea stopped me.  
   “Where are you going honey?”  
   “I signed in for a private class to teach children.” I lied.  
   “And why did you do that?”  
   I sighed then looked at her in the eye, “Because they’re open minded, and fast to learn. Do you need anything Andrea?” she hates it when I call her Andrea, but she stopped complaining since I was five, it’s the price she had to pay for controlling my life; for lying to me, but I don’t think she cares anymore; neither do I, I closed the door behind me as I left.  
   Just like I thought; I reached the stadium in ten minutes, the first quarter has already ended and the second is about to begin. I stepped out of the cap and saw Aomine sitting in the steps of the front door reading a magazine; he seems completely absorbed into it so I came closer without him noticing me.  
   “Is that a porn magazine?” I asked as I leaned closer to him, but he quickly stood up pushing me away and hid it behind his back, “really! Was it a porn magazine? I was just kidding.” I said smiling a little.  
   “I thought you’re not coming,” he said looking away; I don’t know why he avoids my eyes!  
   “So you decided to read porn?” I said almost laughing this time, but he looked annoyed, “And I thought you’re a player on the basketball team!” I decided to change the subject.  
   “Yes; I came here to get some air.” Then he turned around and started walking away, “Aren’t you coming?” he shouted after me.  
   “Yes; just where can I buy a ticket?”  
   He stopped and stared at me in a manner that made feel that I’m the most stupid person in the whole world, “You don’t have a ticket?”  
   “N-No!” I answered hesitantly.  
   He took a deep breath and let it out; that’s the first time I see him make an expression other than boredom, he was annoyed; “Okay, wear this and follow me.” He said giving me his training sweatshirt and I wore it.  
   “I look so ridiculous;” I complained; the sleeves are way past my hands, and the jacket almost reached my knees, but it felt comfortable, and the smell of Aomine’s body made my face turn red and I became a little dizzy.  
   We both went to the player’s entrance; I just don’t know how he will get me in. He first went in but the security officer stopped me, “she’s with me,” said Aomine.  
   “What do you mean she’s with you? I can’t allow her in unless she’s a part of the team;” the officer said.  
   “Really?” Answered Aomine innocently, was that seriously his genius plan? “I- I mean… She’s t-the team’s nurse.” Oh god; he even made it worst.  
   “Then show me your medicine ID” the officer said pointing at me.  
   “No! Not that kind of a nurse; she’s just… she massages me.” It’s becoming more and more embarrassing.  
   That’s it; he must be joking around because this way neither of us is going to get inside, “Excuse me sir,” I said passing Aomine and walking towards the officer, “I just came late and couldn’t buy a ticket, seriously sir this is the first time I come to a basketball match; you wouldn’t ruin my day just because I came late, would you?” I said looking at him with kitty eyes.  
   “Don’t get used to it,” he said and stepped aside allowing me and Aomine to get in.  
   “Wow you’re a good liar,” said Aomine as we reached a safe distance.  
   “I am a good liar, but I wasn’t lying just now.”  
   “You mean you’ve never been to a basketball match?” he asked confused.  
   “No! This is my first;” which made him smile at me, “What’s wrong?” I asked.  
   “Nothing; I’ll just make it your best.”  
   We got into the court, he placed his bag on a bench and offered me to sit down while all his teammates looked either confused or angry which I didn’t quit understand.  
   “Aomine-kun, where have you been? And why didn’t you pick up your phone?” asked Momoi with an angry tone.  
   “I was asleep,” answered Aomine preparing to get into the court, so that’s why they look angry; I thought they hated my presence but apparently they don’t care, they’re mad because Aomine is late for the match, so he wasn’t sitting outside to get some air like he told me. But since he arrived, why didn’t he come in any way!  
   “You’re not serious at all; first you skip the training, and now you’re late for the match!” she said with a high pitched voice.  
   “I’m here now Satsuki so get over it,” he answered as he was substituted by one of the players.  
   I silently sat on the bench avoiding the other players and especially Momoi; I don’t even understand what she is doing here! I noticed that another one of Touou starters is freshman in my class; Sakurai, but he wasn’t as good as Aomine; no one was. I watched him in the videos millions of times, but watching him in front of me was totally different, I can feel his aura filling the whole court while he didn’t even seem to put any serious effort on it, in fact he still looked bored. I kept watching him; analysing his moves, but in my mind I see him turn right while in reality he turns left, he’s still unpredictable to me.  
   “What are you doing here?” asked Momoi cutting my thoughts.  
   “I’m watching the match.”  
   “I can see that,” she said angrily, “I mean why are you watching it from here? This place is made for the players, the coach and the managers.”  
   “Because I can,” I simply answered without looking at her, which made her furious, so she came closer to me as if she’s going to hit me, but I know she won’t, so I didn’t move a muscle.  
   “Listen to me girl…” she started.  
   “Oi Satsuki;” interrupted Aomine who was now standing behind her, seriously when did he come here? “Stop bothering my guest!” he said then went back to the match, and she angrily got back to her seat.  
   The second quarter had ended and now they’re going to have ten minutes break, so Aomine asked me to go join them in the changing room but I refused, I’m not in the mood to be in the same room with shirtless guys, I don’t even know how Momoi does it! So instead of going to the changing room, he stayed with me in the court.  
   “How is the match so far?” he asked me ignoring the angry looks of his teammates who were leaving.  
   “You weren’t so bad,” I can’t say he was amazing can I? “But you’re going to win though.”  
   “I know,” he confidently said, “The only one who can beat me is me.”  
    I’ve never met someone who has confidence on himself like this, “You can’t Play against yourself, besides your opponents are quite good; you shouldn’t be that confident.”  
   “You just said that I’m going to win!” he said confused.  
   “You’re not confused because I know you’re going to win, but then you get confounded when I compliment your opponent?” I said but he didn’t answer, “You are going to win, but that doesn’t change the fact that your opponents are good. In fact there are two players similar to you; I don’t mean they’re like you, but they also have an aura of a winner. There’s a small guy with blue hair, no one seems to notice him, but his presence makes a significance difference for his team’s sake.”  
   “You mean Kuroko Tetsuya?” he said a bit surprised.  
   “You know him?”  
   “He is one of the generations of miracles but tell me;” like I know what the generation of miracles is! “Did you just notice that? I thought this is the first time you watch a basketball match.”  
   “It is,” I said but he didn’t look convinced.  
   “So who is the other one that I should be afraid of?”  
   “The red headed guy,” I answered.  
   “Kagami Taiga,” he exclaimed but I didn’t know whether it’s him or not.  
   “You don’t have to worry about him, not now though; but he evaluates fast, maybe he’ll defeat you in the near future,” I said teasing him and he smiled as if it would never happen.  
   “You know you are something; maybe I should’ve told the security officer that you’re the coach rather than my massager.” I hope he knows that he’s not funny right now at all; I turned the other cheek so he wouldn’t notice me blushing.  
   The ten minutes break has ended and now the third quarter will begin, Aomine’s teammates came out and sat on the bench next to us, they all avoided an eye contact with him but they seemed still angry as well, I guess they hate his carelessness but none of them can say anything because they know he’s the best.  
   “Emiyan-chan, I’m glad you joined us today,” said Sakurai approaching me and I smiled at him, he was one of the few in my class who weren’t judgemental and acted nice upon me.  
   “Yes, me too; you were really good, I never knew you play basketball.”  
   His face turned a little red; “I’m sorry, thank you Emiyan-chan,” what on earth was he apologizing for? I just smiled back and looked at Aomine who was wearing an unreadable expression.  
   “Seriously!” a high pitched voice said from behind me, and I didn’t have to look to know it was Momoi, “that’s why we don’t allow the fan girls to sit here, you are a complete distraction to the…”  
   “Oi Satsuki,” said Aomine interrupting her.  
   “It’s okay Aomine-kun, I saw what I came here to see and I was leaving anyway,” I said before he starts fighting with Momoi and he just nodded. If he wanted me to leave that is his chance, and if he wanted me to stay he can’t ask me to in front of everyone, and I would never know what’s going on inside of his head, Aomine Daiki; he’s more interesting than I thought.


	3. Sleeping Daiki!

   The moment I reached home yesterday I discovered that I was still wearing Aomine’s sweatshirt; I guess destiny will keep putting us in each other’s path and he won’t be walking out of my life soon.  
   As usual I reached ten seconds before the class starts; so I didn’t get the chance to return it to him, this way I’ll have to go see him in the recess.  
   The class ended and I waited until Aomine woke up then decided to go talk to him, but before I even get up Sakurai stopped me. I didn’t even notice him coming towards me; so I wondered; now I can’t predict anything while Aomine is around! Or perhaps it’s because we are not the ones who write the best moments of our lives.  
   “I’m sorry Emiyan-chan you had to leave yesterday,” He said.  
   “You know you don’t have to apologize for me right! I mean it’s not your fault.”  
   “Yes! I’m sorry for that,” I sweat dropped; this guy won’t stop apologizing.  
   “So tell me; how did the match end?”  
   “We won,” just like I predicted.  
   “Congratulations; I don’t know much about basketball but you’re definitely a good player Sakurai-kun.”  
   “You’re just being nice Emiyan-chan,” he said with an innocently childish smile and I smiled back at him.  
   “Listen! Do you know where can I find Aomine?” I asked him before he leaves.  
   “I’m sorry; I don’t” again with the apologise thing.  
   “It’s okay, thank you anyway,” I said then left.  
   So where can I find Aomine! Someone like him – easily bored – would rather be alone or at least go finish his nap, so I went out in the school yard and started thinking where’s the best place to be alone! Then it hit me; the roof.  
   I climbed up, and not surprisingly he was there, he was lying asleep on the floor so I quietly walked closer to him, at least this is one place where Momoi won’t disturb me. I leaned closer to his face watching him sleeping peacefully, he doesn’t look bored while he’s asleep; his eyebrows are softly curved, his lips are not tensioned, I leaned closer to his face but my hair softly came down on his face waking him up.  
   We both turned red so he quickly sat down and pushed me in the process which made me trip and fall on top of him; I didn’t see that coming, because in my mind he kept his boredom face and accused me to be a pervert who watches guys while they’re asleep.  
   I blankly looked at him before I realize that now I’m sitting on his lap, while his face on the other hand was turning fifty shades of red. I tried to get up but his scent still makes me feel dizzy, and being that close to him doesn’t help either; so he literally held my waist, lifted me up and placed me on the ground next to him.  
   “Wow you’re weightless,” he said sarcastically.  
   “I-I…” I stuttered, “I came here to give you your sweatshirt.”  
   “How did you find me?” he said ignoring me.  
   “There is no other places for someone like you,” I answered but he didn’t seem to understand.  
   “Hey Emiyan-chan; why do you wear a leggings under your skirt?” he asked pointing to my leggings which wasn’t really a one; it just reached a little past my thighs, then I realized that my skirt totally lifted up, it must’ve when I trembled and fell.  
   I got up furious and threw his sweatshirt on his face, “So that a pervert like you wouldn’t stare into my panties,” I was angry but he simply took the shirt off his face and I noticed he was laughing, so I turned the other cheek hiding my smile, “Seriously; you won’t find me dead in that incredibly short skirt that shows my ass as I walk, thank you for inviting me to the match by the way,” I said preparing to leave.  
   “Wait Emiyan-chan,” he said stopping me, but when I turned to him he just paused and didn’t say anything.  
   “What?” I said urging him to talk.  
   “The… the midterms are in three weeks and…” he stuttered.  
   “You want me to help you studying?” I asked and he just nodded, “Only in one condition.”  
   “Of course you wouldn’t do anything for free, so what’s that!”  
   “Well you know! If you’re good at something never do it free,” I teased him, “Although it’s not a big deal, I just want you to call me Emiyan plainly.”  
   He gave me an – are you serious – look, “sure…” he hesitantly said  
   “Okay; when do you want us to start?”  
   “Today if you don’t mind, do you want me to come to your…”  
   “No, no, no I’ll come to your home, it’s better this way,” I said interrupting him.  
   “As you wish,” he said confounded with my reaction, “We can start at five; because I have a basketball…”  
   “Aomine-kun,” a high pitched voice interrupted him from behind me.  
   Wait let me guess! Of course it’s the pink haired clown girl; seriously she is like Aomine’s extras.  
   “What are you doing here?” she asked me.  
   Aomine wanted to defend me but I interrupted him; “Aw, I’m sorry; I didn’t know that this is your secret love nest!” I teased her but Aomine was smiling.  
   “Aomine-kun!” she angrily shouted at him, and I took the chance to leave


	4. Two Inches Apart!

   No one can lie; no one can hide anything when he looks directly into someone’s eyes, no one but me. Again I told Andrea that I’m going to one of the private classes I signed to, and that from now on, I’d be giving three classes in a week; of course she bought the lie.  
   “Hey…” said a very pretty lady who opened the door for me.  
   “Excuse me! I’m a friend of Aomine-kun, is he home?” I politely said to her.  
   “Yes sure; come in please,” she said letting me in to the living room, “He told me you’re coming, but he’s still in the basketball training, let me call him for you,” she took out her phone while I sat down in the couch, she must be his mother, although she looks very young.  
   “He said he’s on his way,” she said sitting next to me, “So you’re Emiyan-chan right! Thank you for helping my son, he’s quite a good athletic but he never showed any interest in studying.”  
   “I haven’t done anything yet, but listen madam!” I said noticing the book and the glasses in the table in front of me, the couch temperature also announced that someone was sitting here few minutes ago, “You can go finish your book, I don’t really mind waiting for him here.”  
   “Aw never mind,” she said picking up the book and giving it to me, so I took it and started reading, only the way I read books is a little different than the way other humans does; all I have to do is take a look at the page and it’s already printed in my mind, of course for her I was only looking at it. “You read this book before? To kill a mockingbird; it’s a nice book, I read it before but I was younger; now I’m a member of a book club so I’m reading it again to get some questions for discussion.”  
   “I’m sorry I haven’t read it before.” I answered focusing in the book.  
   “Okay, let me get you something to drink.” She said and went to the kitchen for five minutes then came back with two juice glasses, so I closed the book and placed it back in the table.  
   “Did you like it? I can give you a copy; seriously I have another one from…”  
   “No thank you,” I said interrupting her, “I really don’t like fictional books; although I liked it when he said; you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.”  
   She looked half surprised half scared so I didn’t answer, “I don’t remember that part,” she exclaimed, most people would think that I’m lying, but instead she’s surprised because she can’t remember where that phrase was.  
   “Page one hundred and forty eight, the twenty fifth lines from under,” (A/N: at least it’s there in my copy of the book.)  
   “Did you just finish the whole book?” she eventually asked but before I get to answer Aomine came in.  
   “Hey Emiyan, I’m sorry I didn’t think you’re coming today because I didn’t get the chance to show you the house; seriously how did you find it?” he said as he put his bag on the floor while his mother glared at him.  
   “I hacked the school’s system,” I said sarcastically but they both stared blankly at each other, “You do realize that I was kidding right!”  
   Aomine sweat dropped “Yeah sure,” he said not convinced, “Now excuse us mom, we’re going to study in my bedroom.”  
   Did he just say his bedroom! I looked at his mother and she was completely okay with that, is she aware that we’re going to study!  
   “Aren’t you coming Emiyan?” I started blushing and his mother noticed that, so I faked a smile and followed him to the bedroom. He had a low profile bed, a study disk and a couple of shelves with books, sport magazines and his basketball. I admit I expected a typical teenage bedroom, with celebrities’ photos covering the wall and clothes thrown all over the place; maybe I should just stop trying to predict Aomine because I’ll never be right.  
   “Make your-self comfortable,” he said closing the door.  
   “What do you think you’re doing?”  
   “What?” he asked still closing the door; what is he planning to do! I can’t read his body language, but I see nothing in his eyes. Wait! I can’t trust my judgement in him; my heart started pounding against my chest, and the moment he closed the door I started screaming.  
   “What the hell are you doing?” He said jumping across the room and held my mouth trying to stifle my voice, I tried to fight back but my thighs hit his knee and we both trembled in the edge of the bed and fell on it with him on top of me.  
   “What the hell are you doing?” he started whispering, “My mom is out there, what would she think we’re doing?”  
   My heart is beating faster than ever, my face is tomato red now and tears started to well up in my eyes. He noticed that so he took his hands off my mouth allowing me to breath.  
   “And those are the words coming from a guy who was reading porn in public,” I finally said.  
   “It was not porn,” he furiously yelled at me and the door opened at the same moment.  
   “What’s going on here?” his mother said.  
   “N-No!” He stuttered as he jumped away from the bed to the corner of the bedroom, “I-it was-I mean…”  
   “Aomine Daiki! Tell me what the hell is going on here right now,” she snapped at him while he stood shaking in the corner of the room. I just couldn’t help laughing at the situation; he looks so cute when being yelled at, I’ve never seen an afraid Aomine.  
   I stopped laughing when I noticed them glaring at me, especially him, so I cleared my throat and put on a serious face “I’m sorry madam; I just overreacted when he closed the door.” I politely said.  
   “Seriously?” he started screaming at me, “Couldn’t you just…?”  
   “Aomine Daiki!” his mother interrupted him, “Show some respect to our visitor… and this door remains open,” she said walking out.  
   He sat on one chair and offered me the other, “Hope you were enjoying yourself Ms. Kira!” he said backing to his boredom and I started smiling again as I remembered him in the corner.  
   “In the matter of fact yes,” he looked surprised at my words so I had to explain more; “I liked your relation with your mother; she’s a pretty nice lady.”  
   He didn’t exclaim why, he didn’t get mad of my words, he didn’t make fun of me, he just opened the books and started studying; perhaps he understood that by taking any further step in this situation, he would be standing in my personal zone, and perhaps Aomine Daiki is the only person on earth who managed to understand me whereas I didn’t.


	5. Fifty Shades of Red!

   Aomine and I became much closer in the last two weeks, although it got me some headache trying to figure him out, but it’s more interesting this way; I admit that sometimes I hate being ignorant  of what’s going on in his mind, but mostly I tend to enjoy the mysterious moments of an unknown future with him.  
   “Aomine would you focus please; I’m getting tired of this; and its quiet simple…” I said hitting him with the pen, but he held my arm with both his hands, I started blushing while he looked into my eyes.  
   “If you’re so tiered then let’s take a break,” aw I thought he had some naughty thoughts but apparently he’s just bored.  
   “No! The exams are next week, besides; I didn’t mean that type of tiered.”  
   “What! Now tiered has many meanings? You’re driving me nuts; seriously I can’t focus anymore, let’s do something different,” he said as he lay in bed, but he’s right; all we do is study and that’s not healthy, at least for him.  
   “Let’s go to the movies,” I said trying to lighten him up but he didn’t show any reaction, he just kept staring at the ceiling, “Aomine!”  
   “Sorry, but you didn’t seem like the sort of people who likes going to the movies; it’s just so lame.”  
   “I don’t like going to the…” I started but couldn’t finish my thought; in fact I didn’t even mean to say it out loud. He sat down and looked at me, but I turned the other cheek out of embarrassment; not because of what he said or his reaction; but because I don’t even know how it feels like to go watch a movie in the theatre.  
   “Fine let’s go,” he said putting on his sneakers.  
   “N-No! We don’t have…”  
   “You’ve never been to a movie, have you?” he exclaimed but I didn’t answer, so he just sighed; “I don’t understand where did you really come from! Let’s go,” he said walking out and I followed.  
   We reached the cinema, and there we stood not knowing what movie we should watch.  
   “Make your decision; the movie will start in five minutes,” he said urging me to make a choice, but honestly I couldn’t; I don’t even remember the last time I watched a movie.  
   “Just pick up anything, I wouldn’t care,” I finally said, so he sighed and headed to the ticket booth, “Hey Aomine! I don’t like fictional movies…” I shouted after him, and he gave me an idiotic expression as if asking me why I didn’t say so from the beginning! I ignored him, and then we got in and took our seats.  
   The movie turned out to be romantic; I think it’s the only realistic category he found. Although the story wasn’t so bad, but Aomine looked completely bored, he kept yawning and I felt that he’s going to sleep in the middle of it, which made me feel guilty; I turned around to ask him to leave but then came a moment in the movie – a moment in which you change the channel before your parents come – which made me freeze in my seat.  
   The actor kissed the girl who seemed completely absorbed in it; I tried to pull myself together, but then he pushed her in the bed and crawled on top of her, I looked away until the moment passes, meanwhile observing everyone’s reaction, apparently I’m the only one whom blushing here rather than enjoying the movie.  
   I looked at Aomine on the other direction and coincidently my eyes caught his; he was wearing a sarcastic smile, was he watching my reaction all this time? I wanted to look at the screen again to hide my embarrassment from him, but the actress started moaning and I couldn’t imagine what’s happening in there, so I kept staring at Aomine while both our faces turned fifty shades of red.  
   “Let me go get us something to drink,” I said leaving the hall.  
   “Let me come with you,” he said following me out.  
   When we reached the lobby my face was still tomato red, so I avoided looking at him, “They were just kissing, so don’t make a big deal out of it;” he said.  
   “How could you say that? You were blushing too; I saw you.”  
   “No I wasn’t;” he said looking at the other direction.  
   “Of course you wasn’t;” I snapped at him, “that would be bizarre for someone reads porn all the time.”  
   “Seriously Emi; you can’t bring that up every time we argue about something,” he said getting mad.  
   “Seriously Aomine; I can’t believe you bought us an adults tickets.”  
   “You’re the one who said; I hate fictional movies;” he said with a high pitched voice in the last part.  
   “You could’ve picked a drama movie, besides…” I crossed my arms preparing to shout at him, but then I forgot what I wanted to say when I figured out that he just called me Emi.  
   “What did you just call me?” I asked almost whispering.  
   “You know you’re slow for someone genius,” he said walking out, “let’s take you home before Andrea calls the police,” I smiled at his joke and followed him out.  
   “Oi Emiyan,” he started, “That’s bizarre; I spend almost all my day with you, and I still don’t have your number.”  
    “Bizarre is good; common has hundreds of explanations, while bizarre hardly has any,” I said sarcastically but he didn’t seem in a mood to joke around, “However!” I continued, “I don’t have a phone anyway,” I said in a sad tone; in fact Aomine is the first person to ask for my number, most guys feel that I’m too arrogant or simply out of their league, and most girls don’t want to be a friend with someone that draws the spot light away from them.  
   “Now that’s the kind of bizarre that you cannot describe as good,” he said mocking me so I smiled, “Seriously; why don’t you have a phone?”  
   “Andrea says that it would only waste my time,” it’s getting easier to open up for him every time we talk about something personal, it wasn’t a complete surprise for me; he is the only one who understands me, which is ironic because he’s the only one that I don’t understand, so we end up talking a lot.  
   “She would kill herself if she knew how much time you waste with me,” he said smiling.  
   “But I love wasting time with you,” I stopped talking the moment I realized what I said, but he didn’t show any reaction; as if it was something natural to say, “And I don’t think it would matter if I have a phone or not;” because it’s enough for me to know that him and I exist at this moment.  
   “It would matter to me; so talk to her about it.”  
   “Okay,” I don’t talk to her about anything, in fact I even avoid her, yet obeying him is so easy, “I’ll talk to her today, and you better get back now before she sees you and start lecturing me.”  
   “See you tomorrow,” he smiled and stood at the corner of the street; he usually stands there until I get into my house, since he can’t walk me to the door steps, I smiled back and waved goodbye for him as I got into the house.  
   “How was your day?” Andrea asked.  
   “Good,” I answered smiling as I remembered Aomine blushing at the movie, “I’m hungry, is there anything to eat?”  
   “Yes, change your clothes and dinner would be ready.”  
   I headed to my room, took a bath and prepared my speech to ask her to get me a phone. When I went out I found that she already prepared dinner for both of us, just the perfect scenario to start a conversation.  
   “How was your day?” I asked; I never ask her about her day so she must notice that I want something.  
   “It was great; some big company wants to invest in ours.” Seriously! Does she really think that I’m interested in her day?  
   “That sounds great,” I answered anyway, “listen! Andrea, I want a cell phone…”  
   “You already know my answer, so please don’t start that again.” She interrupted me.  
   “Again; we’ve never talked about this! All the people in my school…”  
   “Well you’re not like all the people in your school,” she interrupted me again, “Emiyan honey; you’re a smart girl, and I don’t want you wasting your time with those simple minded kids; they just… don’t fit your standards.”  
   “Here we go again; I don’t even know what my standards are! You always say that and I don’t get your problem, it’s my time and I can do whatever I want with it.”  
   “No you can’t, I’m older than you and I understand life better; I know how these things can ruin your life.”  
   “So you’re just afraid that I end up like you,” I said that then headed back to my room and closed the door behind me.  
   She thinks that I was too young to remember this, but I do; I must have been three or four years old when she was cheating on my father. She was crossing the road holding me on one hand and her phone in the other; she was talking to her boyfriend, taking the address where she could meet him. The poor man – my father – was following us when he got hit by a car; she didn’t even look back and continued her way; now she’s afraid I might end up like her, but that could never happen because the best part of me is that I’m not her… I am me.


	6. Detained!

   I went to school the other day still buried deep in my wistful melancholy; why did that have to happen? Or why did it happen to me? I always found it ridiculous that people ask themselves that, but now I’m asking myself the very same questions, although I know that the big joke of being alive is that there is no absolute reason; everything we do leads us to the moment of right now which does not particularly exist, because the great paradox of life is that the moment we grasp the now, that now is gone.  
   I stopped listening to the teacher, in fact I haven’t started to listen to him since I came, not because I was watching sleeping Aomine as usual, but because I’m still mad that I’m old enough to make my own decisions and yet I can’t.  
   Someone threw a crumpled paper on my face so I snapped at the direction from which it came, whoever wants to pass papers in the middle of the lecture should aim right,  
   “What!” I shouted at whoever threw it, and it turned out to be Aomine, so the paper was meant to be mine after all.  
   “Is there a problem Ms. Kira?” the teacher asked coming towards us, I wanted to pick up the paper and hide it but it was already on the floor so I couldn’t, “Mr. Aomine; all you do is sleep in my class which I don’t really mind since you do it quietly, now you want to disturb the best student in this school, and I cannot simply allow that,” he said picking up the paper and open it, then he crushed it in his fist and threw it in the garbage.  
   “Mr. Aomine, Ms. Kira, both of you will go to detention after school,” he said then simply continued the lecture as if nothing had happened, I wanted to say that I have nothing to do with it, but whatever Aomine wrote had dragged me to detention with him.  
   “Did you have to snap at me like this?” asked Aomine while we were heading to the detention hall.  
   “You’re the one who was supposed to be asleep, and seriously what on earth did you write that made me accompany you at detention?”  
   “What! Now it’s my fault? And why are you so mad today? You’re going to kill someone at this rate,” he said sarcastically but I didn’t answer, “Did Andrea says something to you?”  
   I nodded without saying anything, he sighed “seriously is that why you’re acting as if it’s the end of the world? I mean; you can always have a phone without her knowledge.”  
   He’s right, but I don’t feel like talking about this right now, I entered the detention hall and took my seat hence ending the conversation, he sat next to me and started bringing out his tools which was odd especially from someone like Aomine; is he really planning to spend his time here studying!  
   He wrote something then cut the paper and passed it to me; this guy never gives up, I took the paper and it said “Don’t misunderstand me; I’m not mad that we got detained.” I read it and put it aside, so he passed me another one, “You see! I won’t have to listen to Satsuki’s lecture about why I skipped training today.” This made me smile a little.  
   “That clown of yours has nothing better to do?” I wrote back.  
   “I’m glad that clown made you smile,” he’s too stupid to know that he is the one who makes me smile; I felt my heart skip a beat as I thought so, and it became hard for me to breathe.  
   He passed me another note, “Are you okay!” I don’t believe he just noticed my unsteady breathing, I started blushing and my face heated more, so I quickly passed him a note, “I’m fine it’s too hot in here if you haven’t noticed!” and I wasn’t completely lying; it’s summer and I don’t feel comfortable on my school uniform, besides thinking about Aomine and all the stuff he says makes me more uncomfortable.  
   “Why don’t you just take off your jacket!” he wrote, I can’t believe he just said that; that pervert wants me to strip for him! I closed the book that was on my desk and throw it on his face.  
   “Aw…” he shouted, my heart started beating fast because I didn’t mean to hurt him, and more importantly because he was screaming at me while all the whole class was silent, “I didn’t mean it that way; seriously what’s wrong with you?”  
   I tried to hush him but the teacher was already in front of us, “You two will cause yourselves extra detention hours for tomorrow,” he said.  
   “Seriously! you can’t detain us in the middle of detention…” I didn’t finish my sentence because Aomine kicked my leg from under the desk, “Aw, why did you do that? It…”  
   I was interrupted this time by the teacher hitting me with the book on my face, I felt tears willing up on my eyes as I saw Aomine smirking at me, he must be thinking that we’re even now.  
   The teacher gave us a very – I mean VERY – long lecture about manners, and given the fact that this was my first detention he was mostly conversing me while Aomine was practicing his hobby of taking a nap in the middle of the class. After that we both headed out and Aomine seemed happy, did he really like being detained this much?  
   “Why are you so happy?” I asked but he looked confused, “Well not being so bored is basically happy in your body language.”  
   “You’re making a research on me or what?” he asked sarcastically but I kept my serious expression so I could get an answer, “I’m just happy I skipped the training.”  
   He lied; I could see his unsteady breathe indicating his uneven heart beats, “You’re such a slacker,” I said anyway.  
   “When is your next match? I want to…” I stopped the moment I saw Andrea standing in the school’s front door, I can’t believe I forgot that she won’t find me when she comes to pick me up.  
   She started walking towards us as she saw me, I looked at Aomine to ask him to walk away but it was already too late, “Emiyan Kira;” she shouted as she reached us, “You better explain how you got detained young lady.”  
   “I’m sorry Mrs. Kira that would be my fault, I am Aomine Da…” said Aomine offering his hand to shake hers but she walked pass him as if he wasn’t standing there.  
   “I’m talking to you young lady,” she shouted at me again, Aomine came closer to defend me again but I shook my head telling him not to,  
   “So that’s the reason you got detained;” she said pointing at him; “can’t you see that he’s an empty vessel; a mere body with no mind inside!” I looked at Aomine with tears threatening to fall of my eyes; that is so embarrassing and I can’t believe she’s saying this in front of him. “And you call yourself the smart one among the two of us, seriously is he also the reason you want a cell phone?”  
   “Andrea…” I started but she interrupted me.  
   “Don’t you dare talk to me like this, I’m your mother and you should show me respect.”  
   “Excuse me ma’am,” Said Aomine to her.  
   “Stay out of it,” she said to him, “Why don’t you find another girl to…”  
   “Don’t you talk to him like this,” my heart started pounding hard against my chest and I can’t stop myself from shouting at her, “I finally found someone that I could be myself with and I won’t let you take him away from me; you can’t take the only thing that matters to me and strip it out of meaning, do you understand?”  
   “Don’t dare talk to me…” she started but I interrupted her,  
   “And yes; he is the reason I want a phone.”  
   “That thing would ruin your mind…”  
   “No! You ruined my mind; you’re afraid I would abuse it the way you did, aren’t you? But the thing is you’re so naïve and self-cantered; you killed my father and now all you got to do is ruin my life,”  
   She tried to slap me across the face and I took a step back and stopped shouting instantly; she never dared to hit me, and now she wants to do it in front of Aomine; she is just trying to humiliate me, all she does is ruin my life and I can’t take it anymore; I pushed her and ran away.


	7. I Like You, Lets Play Around!

   I’ve never been embarrassed, I’ve never been humiliated, I’ve never cried, and I’ve never cared for someone this much; not until now. I sat on a chair in a corner of the library, holding a book to hide my crying face, my eyes are bloody red and I’m holding my breath trying to stifle my cries, but I still hear my sobs.  
   “Hey you’re too loud; the librarian will kick you out at this rate,” someone said to me, what the hell! I was sure that no one would like to read in this corner; it’s summer and this is the sunniest seat in the library. I tried to ignore the guy who told me this, but he pulled a chair and sat down next to me, then pulled the book away from my face, I turned to him with a death glare only to find that it’s Aomine; who else would do unpredictable things to me?  
   “How did you find me?” I asked trying to control my breath so my voice would sound normal.  
   “Well! I admit that this was the hardest part; I mean where could you be? You might’ve gone to the school library, or the public library! Or maybe you were so pissed off that you decided to go to the national library,” he said mocking me, and I couldn’t help but smile at him, which was a bit weird; with all the tears in my cheeks and everything. “But c’mon Emi, you must be a sorcerer or something! I mean this is the first time I get to a library; I never thought that there’s a human being would be able to bring me here.”  
   I don’t know whether that’s a complement or the opposite, anyway I lingered silent until my voice gets back to normal, then I took a deep breath and told him the whole story; how Andrea was cheating on my father, and eventually she took me away from him causing the accident that killed him.  
   “I’m kind ’a confused Emi; you were only three, and that man would be just a man crossing the street, I mean you’ve never seen your father, she didn’t keep any pictures of him, besides why would she keep walking if he was your father! That is inhuman.”  
   “You have a point Aomine, but that wasn’t a stranger; he was following us,” I explained more to him but he didn’t look convinced.  
   “Anyway speaking of the inhuman stuff; we can’t be studying all the time, I’ll get you charged by the human rights.”  
   I hit him with the book I was holding, “You’re such a slacker Aomine…” surprisingly he held the book stopping me before it hit him.  
   “That is unfair as well by the way, I call you Emi and you call me Aomine,” I know he is right, but I can’t call him Daiki as simple as that.  
   “But…”  
   “I know it was part of the deal so you would help me study,” he said interrupting me, “But the thing is Emi… I never needed a help in studying,” he took a pause.  
   “You do need help in studying…” I snapped at him, but he interrupted me again.  
   “I didn’t mean it this way, all I wanted is…” he started but didn’t finish his thought, “all I wanted is to spend time with you, the thing is I… I like you Emiyan, and I don’t mind that spending time with you means hours of headache, but I wish we could get to do something different; like when we went to the cinema or when you watched me play basketball, maybe we could play together sometime.”  
   He stopped when he noticed that my face is turning red, “Really!” I said almost shouting forgetting that we were on a library, now his face turned red which I don’t know why, “You would take me to play basketball with you? I never played basketball.”  
   His face got back to normal, and then he sighed and turned the other cheek; “I tell you that I like you, so you get surprised that I’ll take you to play basketball! Seriously Emiyan, how does your mind operate?”  
   “Aw…” I didn’t notice that he said he likes me, or else I didn’t think he meant it. He took my hand and walked out of the library, but it didn’t matter; the librarian was going to kick us out in few minutes anyway.  
   “At first I’ll take you to my home so you could borrow some clothes,” he said and I looked confused, “you’re not planning to play in these, do you?” I looked at myself and noticed that I’m still on my school uniform, but still; does he think that his clothes would fit me! He suddenly sighed and said, “I’ll get you some of my mom’s clothes; they should fit,” I smiled at his words, but I couldn’t tell whether I was amused that it feels like he’s reading my mind, or the fact that Aomine Daiki looks so childish when he says mom; either ways I’m becoming more happy wasting my time with him.  
   “Stop!” I said, “You don’t have to do this, I can play in my uniform.”  
   “Are you sure?” he asked looking at my thighs, and I felt my heart skipping beats, he must be thinking how he’ll get to see my pants as we play, I quickly pulled my skirt downward to cover my legs making him notice how irritable I am, “You do realize that you’re wearing a leggings and I’m not able to see anything right!”  
   “Y-yeah but…” I stuttered then realized that I’m not supposed to be in defensive position, “Seriously!  Why were you checking me out from the first place?”  
   “And what is there to be CHECKED OUT anyway!” is he saying that I’m not feminine or what!  
   “Of course, your standard is the models in your magazines right!” I said mocking him but he simply sighed and kept walking silently until we reached the basketball court, he took a ball out of his back bag and passed it to me, “You got a basketball in your school bag?” I asked and he seemed confused, as if it’s the main function of school bags, “never mind,” I said and started dribbling the ball.  
   “Let me guess, this is the first time you play basketball right!” he asked and I nodded, I do realize that I’m smart and there are few people like me on Earth, but Aomine makes me doubt that, as if all this time I was watching my life from behind a curtain. “Show me how good you shoot,” he said amused that this is the first time he knows something more than I do, however he still can’t learn that by logic I’m capable of doing anything, I took a deep breath trying to measure the air pressure and the wind direction and velocity, from where I stood I could easily make the shot, and with a simple move I released the ball and it got into the basket.  
   “How; B-but…” he stuttered, actually he looked frustrated that I did it from my first try.  
   “Physics,” I simply said which made him more irritated; he took the ball and started dribbling it,  
   “Let’s see how your science will help you in this,” he said as he ran towards the basket, at first I didn’t understand what he’s trying to do, then it hit me, he jumped all the way to the basket and dunked the ball, “Your turn,” he said passing the ball to me.  
   “Nop, I’m not going to do it; that is against physics laws, seriously for a second I thought you have invisible wings,” he started laughing at my comment and walked towards me, spontaneously I offered him the ball thinking that he wants it, but instead of taking the ball he held my waist with both his arms, “A-Aomine senpai, w-what are you…”  
   “You’re so annoying, I’m trying to make you call me Daiki, and instead you start referring to me with senpai!” he said as he started carrying me up.  
   “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” I shouted feeling uncomfortable that my legs are not in the ground anymore.  
   “You realize that you’re weightless right!” he said making me sit in his shoulder with my legs around his head, “I’m afraid you might fall and I won’t even realize it,” he walked towards the basket and stood in front of it, “your turn,” he said, maybe I should stop thinking about him as a twisted minded pervert, all he wants is to give me the chance to dunk the ball, and I happily did, then started mocking the sound of a crowd cheering for me.  
   “The view is so pretty from up here,” I said noticing the smile in his face, I admit I can’t tell whether he’s happy because he made me laugh, or it’s because he’s holding my thighs! “So this is how the world looks like for you?”  
   “Well… the show is over,” he said as he took me off his shoulders and released me in the air, I closed my eyes preparing to hit the ground, but I felt myself floating in the air, I opened my eyes again to find that he’s carrying me.  
   “Would you put me down now!” I asked him politely; in fact I was getting nervous because we’re physically close to each other.  
   “Only in one condition,” he said with a smirk in his face, and I gave him a look of – and what is that – which made him more excited, “Call me Daiki.”  
   “It’s a bit…” I started but he suddenly released me in the air, so I cried but then I realized he held me before I reach the ground.  
   “Daiki I said,” he laughed, “Or…”  
   I held his neck with both my arms before he make me fall again, “Daiki, Daiki, Daiki…” I shouted; then I felt his hand running through my hair as he was holding me back, I tightened my arms around his neck, but this time it wasn’t out of fear that he might let me go, but because I wanted to thank him for being the best thing ever happened to me, “Daiki,” I whispered to him again.


	8. Training Camp!

   He lay down on the roof floor, eyes fixed on me instead of the sky; he used to come here to run away from everyone; take a nap and forget about the world, now he spends the time looking at me while I’m next to him trying not to read his mind because I would do it wrong at anyway. I sat down next to him, my legs crossed, my hands holding my skirt down so he wouldn’t make any perverted comment about my thighs or the leggings I’m wearing.  
   “The bird fights its way out of the egg; the egg is the world, who would be born must first destroy a world. The bird flies to God, that God’s name is Abraxas.” I said breaking out the silence.  
   “I have never heard of a God named Abraxas,” I frowned because this is not why I opened the subject. “It’s a book I read this morning,” I said explaining to him.  
   “Wait!” he said sitting up and leaning closer to me with confusion on his face, “You read a book this morning? You realize that we had a midterm exam today, right?”  
   “But it was our last exam Daiki.”  
   “And?” he said interrupting me, “it still counts; I can’t believe you read some story instead of studying, whereas I’m here struggling to pass and get myself a C, How this is so easy for you!”  
   “It wasn’t some story Aomine; it was Demian by Hermann Hess,” I said snapping at him although he was right; it is some story not related to anything that we study. “Anyway… what are your plans for the vacation?”  
   “Camping,” he said, and for a second I was confused, he is not the type of guys that goes camping with friends or family, but then I remembered the basketball team; they could be having a training camp for the upcoming winter cup. What else did I think! Of course everything he does is related to basketball, there is no doubt that my presence wouldn’t make any difference for him, I forced a smile in my face; after all I don’t want him to see me sad because this is our last day on school and he wouldn’t want us to argue over such a thing. “What is it?” he asked.  
   “What?” I answered trying to make my smile more cheerful. “You’re smiling like an idiot,” he said and I felt my face heat up, “Anyway I wanted to talk to you about this, I told Satsuki that you are coming to the camp with us. However you need to figure out something to tell Andrea; that old lady barely allows you to come to school after that day.”  
   My heart started skipping beats, “you told Satsuki Momoi what?”  
   “What is wrong with you today? Don’t read books before you come to see me again, it makes you dull.”  
   “Yes I heard you Aomine, but why did you do that? And without telling me or taking my opinion on it;”  
   “You’re mad?” I shook my head, in fact I am very happy, and I was just thinking that he reached the limit of hanging out with me, after all no one can stand me for a week, yet he lasted for over a month and he still wants to stay with me. “I thought so; after all you were going to burry yourself under piles of books right?”  
   “I will come up with something to tell Andrea,” but that would be hard, after she saw me with Aomine, and the fact that I ran away from her because of the way she treated him, she stopped talking to me – which is in fact a good thing – but she didn’t stop on that; she prevented me from doing anything, I even had to cancel the classes I gave to Aomine, and we only spent time together during school.  
   “You better do that fast,” he said bringing me out of my thoughts, “we will leave in three days.”  
   “Wait! How did you convince her? Satsuki;”  
   “I told her I won’t come if you didn’t,” he said as if it’s the most natural thing to be said, and that he would really skip the camp if I didn’t go there with him. I smiled and turned the other cheek so he wouldn’t see the blush on my face and call me an idiot.  
   “I have to go now; Andrea must be waiting on the front door,” I said getting up and taking my back bag, but before I take any step I felt Aomine’s hands holding mine metaphorically asking me to stay longer, I looked at him confounded that he didn’t say anything; but he slowly leaned closer to me so now we are breathing the same air, if I still remember how to breath “Daiki!” I whispered trying to make him stop whatever he is planning to do, but he simply smiled at me, half a smile or half a smirk I couldn’t read that! But he seemed to enjoy himself anyway.  
   “I want you to come with me to the camping, you better find a way; do you understand?” he said with that same smile although his tone was threatening, my face turned tomato red and I almost slapped him in the face for what he just did, if he knew what I thought he was going to do he would blackmail me with it for the rest of my life. I shook my head out of that idea, maybe spending too much time with him made me twisted minded and pervert like he is, it’s embarrassing that I thought he wanted to kiss me, so humiliating and none sense; he only hangs out with me because I helped him study, anything that I might think more of it is in fact a manifestation by the hormones that I’m not used to; adrenaline to start with, and that happens of course because I have never been that close to a man in my life. I cleared my throat and asked him to come see me later, “It’s a part of the plan that I came up with,” he looked at me stunned that I already came up with a plan, and I just laughed at him as I ran away to catch up to Andrea.  
   I reached home and went directly to my bedroom, since that incident Andrea and I stopped eating together, it was the only activity that we do together besides the time she drives me to and from school, so now I spend the whole day in my bedroom. I tossed my uniform on the bed and started looking for clean clothes, but my eyes caught my reflection on the mirror, some equations are still written on it. The last time I stood here to study was the first time Daiki asked me to go watch him play basketball, back then all I wanted is to experience the joy and adventure of being someone who is beyond the image reflected in the mirror, and now the person responsible for the smile I’m wearing on my face is him, I was only attracted to him back then because I couldn’t predict anything he does, and I had the pleasure to experience an unknown future with him, but hardly was I aware that spiritual affinity could be translated into physical closeness, and day by day I became more addicted to him and the world he is inviting me to, everything he does makes me want to spend more time with him, so he is becoming the world where I want my address to be. And if the book I read this morning says that in order for a bird to be born, it has to destroy its previous world while fighting its way out of the egg; then I would un-hesitantly destroy the whole universe in order to be with him, because the God in my story isn’t named Abraxas, it’s named Aomine.  
   “I’m going out,” I told Andrea as I was heading to the front door, her face went stunned for a second then she tried to hold on to the expression that is supposed to be serious. Most parents use a scary face, so that the act that the child does would be associated with fear, and with that they guarantee their children would keep their distance form that action. However Andrea became aware that these expressions had stopped working for me a long time ago, and that by reading her body language I know the exact thought she is processing in her mind, and I simply manipulate it. “I’m going to sign in for a Manga teaching camp during the vacation; you see today was the last day on my mid-terms.”  
   “And since when you want to be a Mangaka?” she asked.  
   “I don’t; but I have to sign in for something so I would stay the first of my class…”  
   “I don’t care if you stay the first of your class or not, and trust me Emiyan if you care about that you wouldn’t have hanged out with that loser.” She said interrupting me with a firm steady voice, however I noticed it crack when she said she doesn’t care; of course she cares; she spent her whole life trying to keep me the first at everything I do – what a waste of time.  
   “You’re right; I don’t care, so I will just go and tell them I’m not going to the camp, that way the school wouldn’t mail you any papers to sign.” I noticed her swallow hard and she was tapping the table with her index finger repeatedly our whole conversation; that is her un-verbal way to show me she’s anxious, and before she finds any more words to complain, I walked out and closed the door behind me.


	9. Love Actually!

   Humans are so smart but easily manipulated, you just need to make them feel that whatever you want is originally their idea, not yours. It’s like inception; if you want someone to think about something just simply bring the subject randomly in the middle of an unnecessarily important topic; this way they wouldn’t pay attention to it, but their subconscious would, hence it will bring the subject up making it genuinely their idea. I basically told Andrea that I don’t care about my grades, I lied, and now she’s all alone at home thinking about how she must make me care. It’s a system whereby I could tamper whoever I want, however leaving home happened to be a part of another plan, and since I’m not going to school or any manga camp I told to Daiki to meet me out, and as usual he is here waiting for me.  
   “I didn’t think you’re gonna come,” he said with his usual bored expression; I must be late, but that’s impossible, it didn’t take me any time to get rid of Andrea, so how come he is bored already!  
   “I- I’m sorry,” I stuttered because I didn’t know if I’m really supposed to apologize or not; his reaction must show me the answer, but he shook his head and started walking, and that didn’t give me any hint, he either shook his head because I had nothing to apologize for, or he is walking away because he is totally mad that I’m late. “Aren’t you planning to come?” he asked cutting off my revere, “Y- Sure.”  
   “So I assume your plan worked,” he said when I reached him. “Would you slow down? I can’t keep up with you,” I noticed him smile as he lowered his pace; he must be enjoying my retard, or the fact that he can overcome me at every physical thing with the chicken body I’m wearing.  
   “You want me to carry you?” he asked, and instantly my face heated up and I felt the air around me becoming stiff. That’s the reason behind his smile, a perverted thought as usual, “I should’ve figured that out,”  
   “What?” he asked confused, I didn’t mean to say it out loud; but I’m getting used to share my thoughts with him.  
   “Nothing, where are we going anyway?” he suddenly stopped and smiled at me, I looked around and we were at a pedestrian bridge, it’s old, crappy and abandoned, yet it’s a perfect place to be alone with a girl. My heart skipped a beat at the thought, he was just sharing his twisted ideas with me and now he brings me to this place! I swallowed hard trying to clear my throat and look as normal as possible, “We’re already there.”  
   “You figured that on your own?” he said sarcastically as he leaned at the fence, “I like this place.”  
   “It’s your type anyway,” he raised an eyebrow at me, does he doubt that I know him? He surely has the right to; in fact I only know the things he tells me about himself, and I don’t have any choice but to believe him, because whenever I guess something it turns out wrong. It’s ironic since he finds it so easy to figure out how I feel, I never had someone that figured me out, and I never met someone that I couldn’t figure out, and for the sake of the divine comedy, those two contradicted conditions happened to meet at the same person.  
   “Oi Emi! Why are you lapsing out too much today;” He asked bringing my thoughts back to the abandoned bridge where my heart almost loses its rhythm and starts beating randomly or suddenly stops leaving me breathless. “Emi,” he said again with a higher tone, so I opened my eyes widely into his, “Yes.” He only sighed and looked away, “So the plan… how is it going?”  
  “In process,” I said pulling myself together.  
“So let’s hope it works, because I won’t go if you’re not there.” He said that again, and no matter how many times he is planning to repeat it, I would still find it hard to believe.  
“It will, and hope has nothing to do with it,” He smirked at me, I didn’t mean to sound arrogant, but sometimes my confidence is confused with arrogance, but I don’t mind his misunderstanding as long as he is putting on an expression that isn’t boredom, “Don’t worry; my plans has 0.05 fractional error. You see I hacked the Aka company security system; it’s where Andrea works, so I found out they need to make a trip for Philippines to attend a meeting about…”  
 “Wait! You did what?” he interrupted me half stunned half smirking, and I couldn’t help but smile at him, if I knew he would get excited over me hacking systems, then I would have hacked Kaiba corp’s security codes long time ago; but obviously I didn’t. (A/N I couldn’t resist mentioning him even though this is an irrelevant fanfiction.)  
“I replaced the man whom supposed to represent the company by her, even if they thought there is something wrong with the system they wouldn’t have time to change it; I already informed the Filipinos host about her arrival the day after tomorrow.”  
“You mean Andrea will be gone? That’s perfect, I have a better idea since your place will be empty…” he paused with the most perverted look I have ever seen in my whole life, I found myself looking right and left afraid that someone might see us, but the bridge was deserted, which wasn’t a fortunate either; now I’m becoming afraid of where his thoughts could take him, so I walked pass him and sat on the fence, showing him that I’m not interested in what he is saying, “Knock it off.”  
“Be careful there; you might fall,” he said with a serious tone, but I doubt he is afraid for me. “It’s a better idea than the one you just offered.” I said mocking him, but the smile faded from my face instantly as he wrapped his hands around my waist, leaning one of his elbows on the fence and resting the other arm on my lap, “I’m afraid for you might fall,” he whispered in my ear his face is so close that I’m breathing his air, and my heart is beating really slowly that it’s almost running out of sound.  
“And I hacked our school system…” I’m running out of breath yet trying to focus on talking about the plan with whatever left of it; “so that tomorrow our school master will call Andrea and tell her that I’m antisocial, and that she either sign me at some camp or I will have to see the school’s therapist.”  
“Hold on, why did you send her out of the country since you have that backup plan?” he whispered at my ear again and I felt my heart stop.  
“Because- I don’t want her to stay and make sure I’m at the manga camp, she would figure out that I’m leaving with you and your basketball, I can easily manipulate a phone call but what if she decided to pay a visit at the camp!”  
“Manga camp?” he said and started laughing hysterically; I can’t focus on what’s funny but I took the chance to take my breath, “Couldn’t you find something else?” he pulled off still laughing, but kept his hands around my waist preventing me from moving. Then he suddenly stopped making fun of me and buried his head in my neck, “It’s absolutely not like you Emi.” He whispered between my tangled hair, and I felt his warm breath on my neck, so soft and steady, unlike mine; my heart isn’t functioning at the moment, my mind is cracking, but the rest of me knows exactly what it’s doing, all wants the same thing; to escape itself and become a part of him instead.  
I turned my head to face him so that we are less than one inch apart, “That’s the point,” I said with a voice barely audible, “I’m not myself anymore; she knows that already, so I had to pick something beyond her expectations; something new; something that I would never do…” something like being with him, and as close as hacking two security systems in less than hour for his sake.  
“Is that how you really think of me?” he turned the other cheek as he spoke, but we are still separated by almost no distance, “The bird fights its way out of the egg; the egg is the world, who would be born must first destroy a world. I forgot that’s God name; but you get the point.”  
“Abraxas; did you read the book Daiki?” I asked stunned.  
“Of course I didn’t, tsk; I looked it online,” he ignored me this morning when I said this to him but he only needed time to figure it out, I’m aware that I can’t predict him, but no one could actually expect that Daiki could read something, yet he did it to understand something that I said. He looked at me again pulling me out of my revere, “Is that’s how you think of me Kira? That you’re destroying your world for the sake of a new life?” I smiled at him for he got it right, he leaned closer to me, looking right into my eyes, or right though them to everything that I’m thinking about him now, and I started to lose my thoughts between his eyes and the presence of his lips that close to mine, I would destroy my world but it was already corrupted, I would lie to the whole universe but I had no one that talked to me, Daiki gave me the chance to become alive again, and now I can’t imagine a life without him.  
“Yes,” I whispered, his arms tightened around my waist, and I closed my eyes because naturally his next move is so obvious, yet I felt myself floating in the air, and momentary my mind tried to make sense of it, so instantly I opened my eyes at him putting me down on the ground, he just carried me off the fence and on my legs again, “Let’s take you home,” he said walking away.  
In my head he still had his hands around my waist, in my head his lips were pursed against mine, in my head I can’t breathe or make sense of anything, in my head I’m in a place not in the physical world, but Daiki isn’t in my head; he is everything intimately beside to me, yet beyond my reach.


	10. He is Only a Human!

The success of good plans has nothing to do with hope, luck or praying; otherwise people would stop putting effort in their work and worship their Gods instead, those people usually enter every fight with a fifty/fifty chance to win – I don’t; my fractional error is 0.05, it appears to be small, but the fact is that a fractional error equals 5% is an external factor of a human influence by their inattention and neglect; the blindside of my plan was the schoolmaster, if either he or his secretory ignored the information I planted in their computers about my antisocial behaviour – as well as few other random students I added so I wouldn’t be the only one – then it would lower the chance of my attendance to the camp, but it wouldn’t eliminate it. Now I’m at empty house, Andrea is at the airport on her way to the meeting I signed her in; she is not aware that a strategic move only works when you plan ahead without your opponent aware of it; she would never think that a work trip is associated with my school camp, and that they are both two sides of the same plan.  
I got dressed and decided to go tell Daiki the good news, this could’ve been done with a phone call since Andrea gave me a one to use while she’s gone, but I want to waste some time with him, or I want to see his reaction in front of me so that I might get a hint of how he operates, or I just want to be with him… whatever the reason is, I dragged myself to his place quite sure he would be home.  
“Hello Mrs. Aomine,” I greeted as she opened the door for me.  
“Aw Kira-chan, you haven’t come by in a while; how have you been?” she said with a warm smile in her face as she moved aside offering me a space to get in; she is nothing like Daiki; she is nice, warm hearted and capable of smiling, she is easy to read and hence to manipulate, so maybe he is following after his father.  
I walked in and returned her smile, “How is your book club going?” she just nodded with a blush on her face, I would’ve said they called it off, but the tip of her fingers were pale probably from holding up something for a long time; something like a book, hence she must be embarrassed of the book they are reading, “Each book is informative in its own way, there is nothing wrong with the book you are reading ma’am.”  
She looked shocked but pulled herself together before I notice, only I noticed; “its fifty shades of Grey; and you’re not allowed to read it until you’re over twenty, you hear me young lady?”  
“Yes… sure. Is Daiki home?” I quickly changed the subject before she sees how red my face is; she doesn’t know that Daiki took me to see the movie based on that book at the cinema, we both couldn’t take it when they actors started to make out, but it still counts.  
“Daiki?” she asked confounded maybe because I called him Daiki, I just can’t focus while I’m thinking about that incident at the theatre. “He is in his bedroom, you know the way right?” I nodded faking a smile on my face; what is wrong with her! Talking to me about fifty shades of Grey then send me to her son’s bedroom? She has a bit extra faith on him… or me; probably me. I knocked the door and I heard him say “C’mon in…” from behind.  
“It’s me,” I said as I slowly pushed the door open, he is lying on his bed reading some book and he didn’t bother putting it down. I pulled a chair and sat next to him, “What are you reading?”  
“A porn magazine,” he answered calmly, I took a glance and it was really a porn magazine, so I blushed out of embarrassment that he is ignoring my presence. “How many times do I have to tell you to read these privately?”  
“You’re the one in my bedroom Kira,” he answered without looking at me. “I know…” I started but didn’t finish my thought, that was supposed to be a joke; in fact I don’t mind if he reads porn; everyone does, I’m just annoyed that he isn’t looking at me, and the way he started calling me with my last name. “I came to tell you that Andrea is gone, and I will be going to the camp…”  
“I know that already,” he interrupted me; “you already said your plans has a five percent error.” I just nodded but he didn’t see me as he was so absorbed in his magazine.  
“I don’t know where the camp is,” I said almost whispering because the atmosphere is getting more and more awkward. He frowned as he put his magazine aside and picked up his phone, “Oi Satsuki; where is the training camp... umhmm… okay… yeah.” He said talking to Momoi then he hung up the phone and wrote something at the side of the magazine,  
“You can’t make it through the day without that clown of yours,” I tried to cheer up the atmosphere but he didn’t even blink, he tore off the paper and handed it to me, I can see a half-naked woman and the address written at the side of the paper, I felt my heart beat a bit faster, but it wasn’t from embarrassment, I was angry; I’m still not familiar with that feeling, but it’s on the list of the too many things I have experienced with him for the first time, I want to ask him what’s wrong but it would be humiliating if he didn’t want to talk to me about it, so what do I do! He lay in his bed again and stared at his magazine expressionless without acknowledging me again.  
“I’ll take the bus; I don’t think Momoi will allow me to come with you guys.”  
“If it suits you,” he said, there is nothing I can do to make him notice me, if he is mad at me then it would explain a lot, but I didn’t do anything wrong; he suddenly put on that cold act since when we were at the bridge, the way he offered to take me home; usually I’m the one to say when it’s late and when I can stay for a longer time, but that day he decided it’s better I get home before Andrea gets mad. I shook my head out of the idea; I’m always wrong when it comes to Daiki, maybe I should just leave; he might be impossible to predict but he is a human, if he is mad at me he won’t try to stop me, and if he is mad at some random thing and doesn’t want to talk about it then he will ask me to stay but keep ignoring me. “I’m going, see you at the camp,” I said walking slowly towards the door, step after step I said nothing, I reached the door and pulled it half open but couldn’t leave, I need to see his expression even that it won’t be useful to me, “I forgot…” I said walking back to him, and for instant he wasn’t absorbed at his magazine, he was watching me leaving but looked away as I walked towards him; I took his hand to measure his heartbeats, he is calm but his heart says otherwise, “I forgot to give you my phone number,” I said taking the pen and writing the number in his hand, “I am sorry; I just hate ruining books… even if it’s a porn magazine.” He pulled away and I could bear it no longer, I got out but stood a long time in front of the door to his bedroom, and even longer outside his house waiting to hear if he would follow me, then I turned to go as there was no sign of him.


	11. The Shadow of My Light

I am the last to arrive to the bus station; ten seconds before the departure and exactly the same way I’m used to arrive to classes, there is no one waiting for me there, not even a phone call from Daiki.  
I get in the bus and take the first empty seat which happens to be next to a blue haired boy, he is too small and barely noticeable; “You’re one of the generation of miracles if I’m not mistaken right?” I popped up a topic as the bus starts to move, he looks at me a bit confused because I didn’t introduce myself, “The name is Kuroko Tetsuya right! I am Kira Emiyan.”  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Kira-chan, so you’re a fan of the game?” he said in a polite tone, but I have to turn him down.  
“I’m sorry! I don’t really like basketball, I just watched your match against Touou academy at Interhigh preliminaries; the one you lost 112 – 55.” He looks away a bit saddened by what I said, yet he pulled himself together, I keep forgetting that honesty is also confused with rudeness, and just because I remember that kind of information doesn’t mean I have to share them.  
“That match must have meant a lot for you since you remember it that much,” I want to tell him that I remember because I’m pretty good at using my mind, but I don’t know what kind of impression that will leave on him, so I decide to remain silent.  
“I liked the basketball you played that day, and your teammate Kagami Taiga is good too, it’s obvious why you are called one of the generations of miracles.”  
“Thank you Kira-chan, I promise you the next time we play against Touou we will win,” he says with a warm smile, he doesn’t know that I attend Touou academy, or that I only watched that match for sake of being with Daiki. However I only return his smile and nod; “Good luck with that.”  
“Is your friend a fan of the generation of miracles?” he asks and I shrug; I don’t know if Daiki likes his previous teammates, I don’t know if he likes anything, in fact… “He just loves basketball,” I finally say.  
“So your friend is a guy.” Is that a statement or a question? My mind betrays me whenever it comes to Daiki. “The Generation of Miracles only thinks about winning, they are ready to do whatever it takes to win, sometimes I get the feeling that they forgot about enjoying the game.” He is starting to trust me, there is no other reason makes him share his feelings on the first time we talk.  
“I have never seen any of them in action except Daiki and you.”  
“Daiki?” he looks stunned, “Do you know Aomine-kun?” I nod looking away, I hate being a normal teenage girl whenever Daiki comes into my focus.  
“He is my friend.”  
“You mean he is the one took you to that match?” I nod again, what is so weird in that? He smiles with his childish expression one more time, “I didn’t know that he is interested at making any friends. I’m sorry; don’t get me wrong, he is just not the very social type, I am only surprised that he invited you to a match, he has never done that before.”  
“I know! He only loves basketball,” a laugh escaped his lips, it’s obvious that I’m annoyed by that fact; which is quite embarrassing.  
“I don’t think that that is totally true,  
“Trust me he is always bored,” I say interrupting him.  
 “Then I promise you I’ll win against him,” I look at him confounded; what does that have to do with his perpetual boredom! He notices my confusion and decides to explain more “He always says that the only one who can beat him is only him. He is bored because no one can stand against him, so he thinks it’s useless to attend training or put an effort in the match against his opponents.”  
“He needs a rival,” I finished his thought. I discovered about Daiki in this conversation more than I did in the previous month, I always thought he is antisocial and he skips practices because he doesn’t want any sort of human interaction. That is the reason I found him outside the basketball court reading a magazine the first time I went to see him play; he is simply bored because he doesn’t find any competition. The bus stops in a gas station breaking my revere and Kuroko stands to leave, “Come on, I want to show you something,” he says, the bus driver already offers time for the passengers to get something to eat for the rest of the journey as he refills the gas, and I don’t find any reason to decline Kuroko’s offer, I nod and follow him out.  
“Do you know if there is any Basketball court here?” he asks; he wants to show me a move he learned probably, I look around me, “There must be an outdoor court about three hundred metres from here.”  
“You’ve been here before?” I shake my head negatively hence he looks unsatisfied with what I said, so I sigh as I explain more for him; “There must be at least one outdoor court in each city, the land here is very narrow, and since outdoor courts should be oriented parallel to the north south direction, we need to walk further ahead… The land… it will get wider there,” I pause noticing that I talked too much already, but he doesn’t mind that I suppose, because he starts walking on the direction I pointed earlier, “We’ll get there in a while, you just cant’s see it because of the landscape.” He nods although he has doubts, but I don’t mind at all, in few minutes the court became visible as well as his supressed surprise. We walk into the court which is empty from any human presence except the two of us, he takes out his basketball as I smile a little finding it odd that Daiki and him carry basketballs wherever they go.  
“I want to show you something,” he says dribbling with the ball.  
“You need to know that I only played basketball once,” If I count playing around with Daiki was actually practicing basketball.  
“It’s okay,” He says holding the ball not dribbling it, what kind of basketball is he planning to play with me! He stands still against me. Then he dribbles once, twice, and he disappears, naturally I turn around finding him already next to the basket looking at me with a very serious expression.  
“You are really planning to win against Daiki,” he nods, “That is a very smart move; you waited for me to be distracted by the car on the road in order to pass me, I don’t know what will you use to distract Daiki at the court, but if you find a way then…” I pause because I don’t know what Daiki’s reaction will be; this move might simply not work on him.  
“You figured that from the first time,” he says stunned,  
“No, no! There is nothing wrong with your move; I’m just…” Again I want to say that I’m smart, but still I don’t know what kind of impression it’s going to leave on him.  
“You see things differently,” he says and I look at him confused; even if you meet someone who’s a bit intelligent you don’t simply tell them they see things differently, unless… “I had a friend like that before,” he says confirming my idea, “In fact I just noticed; you look like him a little if I’m not mistaken. The same red hair and orange eyes, or eye… I’m sorry he is a heterochromatic.”  
A heterochromatic guy with a genius mind like mine; I definitely want to meet him some time, but not now. I nod and tell him it’s getting late so we need to catch up for the bus. “Kuroko-kun,” I say on our way, “I’m not going to tell Daiki about your move, but I don’t think it would make a difference if people figured it out; if you happened to find a deeply distracting object, then your opponent would need a super human discipline to ignore it and stop you; maybe your heterochromatic friend, but Daiki… he is unpredictable,” I say the last part with a whisper and Kuroko smile a bit, it’s a fact that I turn to a typical teenage girl when the topic is Daiki.  
“C’mon, we need to hurry,” he says.  
“It’s okay; we’ll be there ten seconds before the departure,” he smiles and lower his pace; since it’s very easy to trust the judgment of someone like me, or his mysterious friend.


	12. Topless, heartless.. Perfection!

I thought that since Daiki didn’t call or text, then he would be waiting for me at the bus station, but no one is there for me. Kuroko politely smiles with a warm vale as he leaves me lost in the middle of a foreign city, fortunately I have Sakurai’s phone number, so calling him is the first thing that crosses my mind, “It’s alright Kira-chan,” He says over the phone and I blush a little since I’m not used to ask for help, “I will come to pick you up in a minute,” I want to tell him it would be more appropriate if he gives me the address but he hangs up before I respond; there is a delay on my mind’s restraint, it’s already occupied by Daiki’s weird behaviour and neglect.  
Twenty minutes later my eyes catch Sakurai looking for me, so I walk towards him, and as I get close enough he apologizes for me, but I shake my head forcing a smile, “I’m the one whom supposed to apologize Sakurai-kun; I’m very sorry I’m such a bother…”  
“Thank you for knowing that already,” a voice interrupts me from behind, I turn around and it’s Daiki. For a second my feelings get lost between excitement and worry; my heart beats fast for him but my mind doesn’t like his tone, “Why didn’t you call me?” he asks and I lose myself even more.  
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry Aomine-kun that she called me,” We both look confounded at Sakurai because he seriously has nothing to apologize for.  
“Whatever,” Says Daiki walking away and we both follow him silently, “Next time make sure you get the address before you put yourself in some random bus.”  
“I’m sorry,” I say with a barely audible voice and he looks at me form the edge of his eyes. I stop myself form saying that he’s the one who wrote the address for me missing information, but that would probably develop a fight.  
“I’m sorry Aomine-kun, Kira-chan; I forgot, I…” Sakurai pauses losing his concentration between Daiki and me; “I will catch up to you later,” he finally says, obviously he wants to leave us alone because he doesn’t need to be observant to notice the gloomy atmosphere surrounding us. I want to tell him to stay, but Daiki grabs my hand pushing me away from him.  
“Why did you do this? Daiki wait… Slow down,” I say trying to make him lower his pace, yet he doesn’t so I pull my hand back with all the strength I’ve got, but he lets me go at the same instant leaving me to trip on a stranger who happens to be carrying coffee cups. I feel the coffee burns on my chest as I prepare to hit the ground, but I don’t, like always Daiki holds me before I fall down.  
“Why don’t you watch where you’re walking you little…?” The stranger starts but Daiki interrupts him.  
“Oi, why don’t you find someone your size to yell at!” he said with a death glare, and immediately the stranger walks past us, at least I didn’t spill the coffee on him, “You need to get yourself a new hobby, barging into strangers is pretty annoying, and I’m not planning to be there for you whenever you spill some liquid on someone,” I want to defend myself, but I remember spilling a juice on him the first time we talked, and telling him it only happens because he was around sounds cheesy.  
He pulls me again, this time I walk silently behind him as he enters a clothes shop, “You have a changing room?” he asks the cashier woman, and she nods pointing to the changing room’s location. “Where is your bag?” I look at him blankly, what’s with the sudden behaviour of his! “Damn it Emi; you’re not planning to walk around on that cappuccino shirt, are you? Seriously isn’t it hot? I’m pretty sure it wasn’t an ice coffee.”  
“Emi,” I say almost whispering, he turns the other cheek as he realizes that he called me Emi instead of Kira, “My bag is with Sakurai-kun.”  
“You’re such an idiot,” he pushes me into the changing room cubical which barely fits for both of us, he is the first one to call me an idiot; probably the last, however it’s hard to think when he is that close to me. He suddenly takes off his jacket and shirt leaving me breathless in front of his bare chest; I follow his muscles as he moves and feel my head spinning, I can’t think clearly while perfection stands before me. “What! Is it the first time you see a topless man?”  
I nod for all the words in human vocabulary are now lost somewhere beyond my reach, “Take off your shirt,” he orders and I don’t respond, “There is nothing that I haven’t seen before miss flat chest,” I blush a little but an idea that he is only saying this to encourage me to take it off crosses my mind.  
“Daiki… why are you mad at me?” this is the wrong time wrong place for this topic, but I’m losing myself in his blundering attitude that I can’t take it anymore. I reach up my hand to hold his cheek; he is so tall that I have to stand on my tip toes, and although we are so close, he looks so calm; maybe he has been intimate with a girl before, which is not a big surprise from a man like him. “You’re damn cold; don’t you feel anything?” I ask shakily.  
He takes my hand off his cheek and place on his chest; his skin is so warm compared to the cold weather, or compared to how cold my hand is; “I’m not some sort of a rock… Kira-chan,” his heartbeats… he wants me to feel his heartbeats; they’re so fast, so loud, but I was so busy trying to understand him that I forgot to see what’s obvious.  
“Daiki, you’re…” The cashier woman opens the door of the changing cubical so I quickly take my hand off Daiki’s chest, yet we still look pretty awkward since we’re inches apart.  
“I’m sorry but this isn’t a cheap hotel room for an underage to make out; go get yourself a room before I call the security.”  
“I’m sorry miss, I…” Daiki cut’s my sentence as he throws his shirt on my face blinding me.  
“Just let her change that filthy shirt,” I take his shirt off my face and see him wearing his jacket and walking out closing the door behind him. He didn’t even give the lady a chance to respond, so I quickly take off my shirt and put on his; it is too huge going past my knees and arms, but it’s better than mine; he’s right after all to force me into this; because my skin is tinted red from the coffee burns.  
“How’s your flat chest?” he asks me ignoring the lady while she is lecturing him, I stifle a laugh.  
“Thank you for your service miss,” I tell the cashier lady with a smile and she automatically smiles back and bows for me, I immediately take Daiki’s hand and walk out.  
“How did you do that?” he asks stunned.  
“Do what?”  
“Make her shut up; damn she didn’t even stop talking to take her breath; never mind,” he ends the conversation there and says nothing for the rest of the way till we reach the hotel. Obviously I’ll share the room with Momoi since we’re the only girls in the camp, I found that Sakurai already brought my bag, and that Momoi had already decided what side of the room I’m going to stay in.  
“Where have you been,” she asks noticing that I’m wearing Daiki’s shirt.  
“Nowhere,” I answer while I’m picking up something to wear. She sighs and sits down on the bed next to me.  
“If you don’t mind then I want to talk to you for a second Kira-chan,” I do mind, however I don’t object. “I don’t know what’s going on between you and Dai-chan; I’m his first and only friend, and he doesn’t hesitate to tell me anything, but then it comes to you and… nothing.” She stops talking; this is a very personal matter and I don’t blame her.  
“He is your childhood friend? I didn’t know that before.”  
“Yes, and it’s something that you’ll never understand; you don’t have friends as far as I know, and now you spend your whole time with him,” she pauses not able to finish her thought, that is exactly why I don’t like having friends; they say over hundred words in a topic that could be summarized in ten words, or maybe less. “I’m sorry Kira-chan, I don’t have a polite way to put this; if all what this means to you is some kind of a trial then find yourself another subject.”  
“What?”  
“I mean if you just want to change your life style, or you’re just killing time, you know if all this is just a new life and…”  
“I know what you mean Momoi-chan; I was just… astonished,” how come this idea didn’t cross my mind! This is exactly why Daiki is mad at me; I can’t believe he is that stupid, I tell him a quote from a book about a bird breaking out of a shell, destroying its own world in order to get to a new one, and he somehow – with his super human mind – interprets that I’m killing time by enjoying his new world. I never thought that there is such a level of stupidity, my heartbeat exaggerates, I throw my bag on the floor next to the bed and Momoi gets out of the room as she notices how mad I am, so I sit on the bed where she was and pull my knees closer to my chest, no one ever managed to get me that angry, I want to go to the other room and kill him; I literally stare at a scissors at Momoi’s side of the room but shake the idea out of my head, I need to calm myself down before I see him again or else I’ll commit a crime.  
The door opens and Momoi gets in, “It’s lunch time,” she says with a friendly voice, yet I simply shake my head, “Thank you; I’m not hungry,” in fact I don’t feel like eating, or I don’t want to see him at the meantime, I just can’t figure out how my heart thinks at the moment – hearts don’t think – I’m not thinking straight obviously. She leaves me alone and the time passes without me cooling off, if he is that stupid then why he didn’t come to talk to me about it! The door knocks again and I don’t answer, this is her room as well as its mine, she can just open up the door, I pull my knees closer to my chest and burry my head on them as I hear the door opens.  
“It is dinner time already,” a male’s voice says; it’s Daiki. I strengthen my grip on my knees out of anger, “Do I need to force you to get downstairs?” he asks and I ignore him again, “Oi Kira, you didn’t eat anything today, actually you didn’t do anything but staring at your skinny legs. You didn’t even take off my shirt, I need that back you know,” he says that as he touches my shirt’s sleeve, so I pull off pushing him away.  
“Don’t dare touch me,” I yell at him and for a second he looks intimidated; it’s easy to read his behaviour when I’m mad at him, “I told your simple minded friend that I’m not hungry,”  
“That was lunch, you didn’t…”  
“I only eat breakfast,” I interrupt him.  
“And you’re here to do everything the way you used to it, or to do it differently for once?”  
“So that is what really bothers you,” I walk towards him looking right into his eyes, “That I’m living in your accord because it’s really interesting, or that you are merely a new experience that I’m using to kill time.”  
“Where did you get this from?”  
“It doesn’t matter where I got this from since this is how you think of me.”  
“And didn’t you ask yourself why I was thinking this way?”  
“Million times, Daiki I’m not a normal person that will occasionally tell you that I like spending my time with you or that you’re the best thing that ever happened to me. Screw my world; all I want is to be in yours, and that quote was my way to say so, only it was…”  
“Too smart,” he finishes my thought, “Let’s go eat.” All what I just said and this is how he responds, I angrily turn the other cheek telling him that I’m not hungry, yet he pulls me to face him again and leans closer to my face until our foreheads almost touches so that now we’re breathing the same air, my anger fades away, and I unwillingly fall in love with him, just like a melting candle; slowly, and then all at once. “I will cook for you.” He says.  
“Not hungry,” I whisper summarizing all my thoughts in those two words because he makes it hard to speak. We linger that way silently for almost a minute, until my stomach roars breaking out the silence and I turn fifty shades of red, he laughs at me and buries his face in my neck,  
“The best thing happened to you?” he exclaims.  
“Ever,” I whisper.


	13. First Kiss!

“Do you have something decent to wear?” Daiki asks me.  
“What is wrong with my clothes?” I ask him and he checks me out until I blush and look down to my toes.  
“Nothing, I just want you to wear something a bit girly, why don’t you borrow something from Satsuki?”  
“If you like Momoi’s dress code then why don’t you take her out instead?” I frown at him.  
“Dress code! Do you have a scientific term for everything? Damn it Emi, I just want to do something for you, why do you have to complicate everything? Wear whatever you want, just meet me at the basketball court by ten okay!” he says slamming the door of the room behind him before I get to respond.

“You know that he only wants to do something special for you right?” Says Momoi but I ignore her and sit in the bed. She sighs but still looks at my direction, “Haven’t you had a boyfriend before? You’re the furthest from the life you used to, and he is obviously guilty for bringing you here.”

I might hate her a little, but she is right; two thirds of the day is wasted in training, and then the team prepares for dinner, eat, and everyone returns to his room. Daiki thinks that all this is desperately boring for me, he doesn’t know that it’s the best time I’m having in my life, and even if I tell him he would think that I’m just trying to make him feel better since coming here was his idea.

“It must be so easy for you to read him” she looks confused at my words, she obviously doesn’t put on any effort in order to understand him, unlike me of course, “I doubt it; how come he plans for something special at the basketball court? I better wear a training suit because we’ll play around.”  
“I told you I don’t understand him when it comes to you, but he asked you to wear something decent so why don’t you trust him?” She’s right, however I don’t respond since I’m not used to the whole idea of having someone to talk to about my life, although Momoi gets a little handy for deciphering Daiki. “Do you want me to help you pick up something to wear?” She asks excitedly but I turn the other cheek.  
“No thank you,” I say coldly turning her down while she frowns straightening up in her bed which makes me smile a little at her childish attitude.  
When the time came, I put on slim pair of jeans and a thin summer sweater that clearly revealed the outlines of my breasts, apparently it doesn’t fit the weather; but we’re hanging indoor so I wouldn’t be cold anyway. I hung my hair down long and straight, and then glance at Momoi – she’s the expert when it comes to girly stuff- she smiles in approval and I go to meet Daiki.  
When I get to the Court I find it locked form the inside so I knock the door, maybe Momoi was right after all and Daiki is planning for something special. “Why are you early?” he says opening the door.  
“Do you want me to come back later?” I ask sarcastically yet he doesn’t respond.  
“You picked up nice clothes after all, did Satsuki help you?” He asks looking at my chest, I blush and remain silent so he would notice and look at my face instead, yet he is too pervert to do so, so I stare into his eyes and gravely ask, “You can’t stop yourself from looking down there?”  
“It’s true, I must confess that it’s a real attention getter; most definitely,” he says casually, maybe I should use his same twisted minded behaviour against him, so I pull on the collar of the sweater and stuck my nose inside as I look down, as if to check on what bra I put on today.  
“I guess this sweater and bra is a good match.”

“I can’t tell what kind of matching is involved, but the effect is excellent,” he smirks, I look down hiding the redness on my face, I wanted him to be embarrassed but obviously he had this conversation with million girls before me; I better stop acting like a smartass since he’s the expert here.

“Come in,” He takes my hand and pulls me inside, not hard but with the exact amount of pressure to make my heart acknowledge his presence.

I walk into an empty basketball court, there is nothing but a desk and a chair right in the middle of it; I would say he planned for a meal, yet we just had dinner, and the table has only one chair on it, I look at him confounded though he keeps smirking, it is – by all measures – is better than his infinite boredom, but it still counts as arrogance, as if he is saying you’re never going to win a sensual battle against me.

I take the seat still looking at him, “Where will you sit down?”

“It’s for you, you see I-” he pauses, why is it hard for him now? “I pulled you out of your life all at once, and that is awkward; you must hate it very much.”  
“No you…” You made me fall for you all at once, and that surely feels awkward but… “No I don’t hate you at all,” He breaks our eye contact momentary as I say that and pulls something out of his bag.  
“I just want you to do something you love okay?” he frowns putting the book on the desk in front of me, “However I didn’t know what genre you like most… just help yourself and tell me if you need anything okay?” I nod but he already walks away not seeing me, something is odd with his enigmatic behaviour today; I can tell, even though he is immune to my deciphering code; anyway I open the book and start reading it as he said.

The book is The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. A romantic novel written in English about a man who is deeply in love with a married woman; I remember telling him that I hate romantic stuff when we went to the movies, but that doesn’t matter right now.

I flip page after another finishing half of the book in five minutes, I wonder what will he do after I finish the book; if he really wanted me to spend the night reading he should’ve took me to the library or something. I look up to tell him, he needs a plan B, but I find him staring at his basketball; so absorbed and bored at the same time, he sighs and starts dribbling then shoots a three points at the basket, “Oi Emi, am I disturbing you?” I shrug; in fact watching him play is much more interesting than the book he brought me.

I put down the book and start watching him, for five minutes he keeps playing without noticing me, until the ball rolls to my side untill it reaches my feet. 

"You're not reading anymore,"  he reflects. 

"Yes.." Because you're more interesting than any book I've ever put my hands on. I take the ball and start walking towards him, "If you wanted me to read all night, you should've brought a bigger book. May I join your game?" 

He frowns and scratches the back of his head, it's weird because playing with him would mean physical contact, and that would definitely make him happy. 

"So you didn't like the book." It wasn't a question, I'm such an idiot; on my own way, I sort of ruined his surprise. 

"No, it's just.." 

"Well that's sad, I really liked the kissing scene at the end of the book," he interrupts me; his mood swings faster than my reading.

"Wait they kiss on the last scene?" I could've sweared that I stopped reading when Gatsby died, and his dead body would be too busy rotting to kiss anyone at the last scene.

"Yes! On page hundred and ninety."

I go back to the desk and check the book, but I sigh as I find no such a page; "the story ends in page hundred and eighty nine." (A/N yes my book only has 189 pages XD) 

Aomine Daiki just made me doubt myself. I turn around in annoyance, but before I snap at him, my nose brush against the black fabric of his Jersey. He takes the book off my hand and leans too, too close to me in order to place it on the desk behind me. Then he keeps his hand there; trapping me between the desk and his chest. With each move he seems quiet careful not to touch me, yet still he manages to keep the distance between us minimized to less than an inch. 

"You know.."  I feel his warm breath on my neck as he whisper, "I just wanted to kiss you," he moves back so his eyes are now fixed on mine, "but I wasn't sure how you were gonna react." 

For a second I completely forget how to talk, or was it ten seconds? It's unbelievably hard to think when he's that close to me. 

"Why.." I pause trying to control my breath, "Why don't you try and find out." 

What the hell did I just say?!

Daiki's lips brush mine, so slow and more like a tease. But hot.

I run my finger across his jawline so he'd deepen the kiss, and he seems to take the gesture. His hand travel to my hip and pull me over the desk, I gasp for air and he takes the chance to push his tongue into my mouth.

Only for a heartbeat, then he pulls back and looks at me. "Emi," he whispers slowly, prolonging each letter as if to savor them. Never before has my name felt so wonderful, I think, as I pull him for another..


	14. My Lead!

"Kira-kun, are you sure you can do this?" Asked Imayoshi as he took the seat next to mine, his glasses gave him a smarter look than he deserved, and his creepy smile made it harder for me to focus. 

As if Daiki's presence wasn't enough distraction. 

"What do you mean if she could do this? Of course she can.." Daiki's defense was cut by Wakamatso's short temper.

"Shut up Aomine," he shouted, "She's taking too long, and we're not even sure if this could be done." 

Our senior was too loud, easily triggered by Daiki, and now my presence on itself seemed to annoy him. 

"The Internet is a worldwide platform for sharing information," I said calmly while my attention was still on the laptop in front of me, "there's no organization immune to a simple cibercrime as hacking, I said I could hack Winter Cup firewalls and get you the tournament schedule in fifteen minutes, and now I'm telling you I can do it in less time if you keep your mouth shut and take few steps back from my shoulder, Wakamatso-senpai." 

That made him even more angry, Sakurai started apologizing for him and asking him to calm down, which seemed to amuse Imayoshi and distract him from eyeballing every letter I typed on the keyboard. It was somehow reassuring to know that I still could predict everyone's behavior and manipulate them; spending too much time with Daiki had made me doubt that.

"Excuse me Kira-kun," Susa said in his usual calm and polite tone that didn't seem to get along with his intimidating size. "Why do you know how to hack websites?" 

"Well.." I paused trying to focus on typing few last commands, "never underestimate the power of a young girl who's time-rich and cash-poor." 

If my manipulation didn't make them shut up, this sentence did.

Do they even realize that I'm kidding?

I looked up at them, Imayoshi and Susa kept their pocker faces, but I didn't fail to notice that they were holding their breaths to keep their posture, Wakamatso was gapping at me, Momoi and Sakurai seemed worried - At themselves of course - and a bit scared, and Daiki.. Well he was smirking, maybe he thinks we could use this ability to add few zeros on his bank account, but probably I'm wrong. 

"It was more for the intellectual challenge; my curiosity, and the seduction of adventure; never for stealing, or causing damage or writing computer viruses," they still looked at me the same way they did before I explained, 

Wow..

"It.. was a joke.." The captain was the first to laugh, then the rest of the team joined him, a well performed laugh full of pretense that had I don't believe you written all over it, so I decided to let it go, "Ok whatever, here's the schedule.." 

As soon as the word schedule escaped my mouth, they all jumped at the laptop, forgetting that I'm sitting right behind it. I closed my eyes in panic, but instead of four athletic bodies hitting me, I felt a hand around my waist and then I was standing well distanced from the laptop. 

"A thank you would be nicer than crushing me don't you think!" I said looking back at Daiki, his hand protectively wrapped around my waist.

"What do you mean crush you? The only one who's allowed to touch you is me." I laughed at his new motto, then pushed him towards his teammates. Although Daiki was perfectly good at hiding it; but I knew all he wanted was to see his first opponent on Winter Cup.

I walked behind him to the laptop as I felt the whole atmosphere on the room change, none of them said anything but they all seemed excited, yet I failed to understand what difference their opponent's identity would make if their goal was to win anyway. 

"I wish I could see their faces when they know they'll have to face us on their first match.."

"We mobbed the floor with them last time and we can easily do it again.."

"No! Seirin team has evaluated since the last time we played against them.."

Seirin team? "Daiki," they all paused and looked at me, even though it was him I called, "isn't Seirin is the team in which your friend Kuroko plays?" 

"Yes!" He said, "I took you to the first match.."

"Yeah and I remember telling you that the red headed guy and him have potentials," with the way Daiki was staring at me, I thought it was better not to mention Kagami's name and pretend that I forgot it, as if I could forget anything. 

"What are you trying to say Emiyan?" his voice was a little gravely, I wouldn't have been worried if he hadn't started walking slowly towards me.

"Well I'm just saying that he.." I paused because he just gave me the deadliest look I've ever seen, why is he taking this too serious? "Kuroko I mean.. He might've already.." I held my breath when his hand brushed against the chair in which I was sitting, "reached his potentials!" 

"And how do you know that Emi?" Daiki's bored tone was completely gone, replaced by an expression that naturally.. I did not understand. 

"I met him on my way here; we took the same bus, and I guess Seirin's training camp is here as.."

"You mean Tetsu is here!" His eagerness was unbelievably disturbing, but it didn't annoy me as much as Momoi’s screaming on the other side of the room. 

"We should go tell them," she was yelling, "I need to see his reaction, Kira-kun would you please tell us where they are?" 

"I don't know where they are," I said as I stood behind Daiki because the whole team was walking at my direction.

"But I'm sure you can find out," said Imayoshi with his wicked smile, and I automatically tightened my grip on Daiki's shirt, whom response came fast as he pulled me closer to him, "Emi, you can do that police thing when you detect his phone or something ya!" 

No! He was supposed to take my side. I should talk them out of this folly as soon as possible.

"Even if I had his number, his phone should be connected to.." 

"Oi Emi, please save your lectures to the next exams and find Seirin for us." He pushed his phone on the palm of my hand, "This is Tetsu's number."

I sighed and took my seat again, showing them how good I am with computers was the biggest mistake I made in my whole life. 

 

 

"You'd find me dead before I strip naked with some strangers," I said when Momoi offered to pay for my entry with her to the hot spring bath. 

"We're not strangers.." she pouted, is she aware that this fact makes it worst?

"Oi Satsuki," Daiki interrupted her, "leave her be."

"But she'll have to stay out here on her own.." she frowned.

"No! I'll stay out with her."

I exchanged looks between the two of them, I don't remember when did Daiki start talking on my behalf!

He took my hand and walked me to a couch at the reception, while the rest of his teammates went to see Seirin players. 

"Daiki!" I had to whisper because the reception was huge and empty, "you can go with them if you want; I really don't mind staying here alone."

When he didn't reply, I leaned back and rested my head on his chest, his muscles felt hard against my cheek. Slowly, he cuddled closer and wrapped his arm around me with all the tenderness in the world, until I became aware of how tiny I was between his arms.

Ever since we kissed in the gym, Daiki became more confident about physical intimacy. And no don't let your mind wander, by intimacy I meant simple things; like holding hands when we hang out, or nuzzling my hair when we sit with his teammates, or even cuddling at the reception of a hot spring.

Though I admit that sometimes it made me uneasy to be touched like that in public; probably because the whole touchy thing was new for me.

"Emi.." His voice was muffled because of my position, "I think that your chest isn't as flat as I thought it was." 

My face turned a hundred shades of red, "Ahoomine.." I yelled as I stood up walking away from him, my footsteps echoing through the reception, but the sound was masked by his laugh, then his own footsteps behind me. 

I took a turn and quickened my pace, because I didn't want him to see the tears welling up on my eyes; if he wanted big breasts so badly then he was more than welcome to grab at Momoi’s anytime he wants. 

"YOU ARE A DAMN JERK AOMINE." The brittleness in my voice was enough to stop him from laughing. In half a heartbeat, Daiki had me pinned against the wall, with one arm holding my hands above me, while the other teasing at my lips. 

"Since when you cry at compliments?" 

"I'm not crying,"  I cut him off, and it was true; my eyes getting teary didn't count as crying, "and it wasn't a compliment." 

I tried to shake my hands off, but he seemed to hold them there effortlessly. If he said it was a compliment then it was a compliment, I wasn't even mad at him anymore; I was busy trying to tame the stupid heart pounding crazily against my chest, this position meant that Daiki was planning to make out with me right here, right now.

A moan escaped my lips as he pushed his abdomen against mine, so lightly, but careful to make sure that every inch of his body, was touching every inch of mine. And that was when I sensed him; he was approaching the vending machine at the end of the hallway. 

It wasn't the most brilliant idea, but it was the first thing that came to my mind. I pressed my lips against Daiki's, and it was so satisfying that for once I took him by surprise.

He let go my hands to reach for my neck, or maybe my waist! I wish I could linger at that position a bit more and find out, but in that instant, I slipped beneath his arms and turned around the corner into another corridor. When Daiki came after me, it was my turn to pin him against the wall.

"Kuroko or Kagami?" I asked breathlessly, hopefully he won't know that it was the kiss that took my breath, not the effort of running away from him. 

"Who do you wanna see? Kuroko or Kagami?" I repeated my question. 

"Tetsu.." 

"Then follow me," I ran along the corridor and entered the last door to the right, it was a restaurant, "You should get him something to drink, and be quick about it." 

"How do you know where he is?" He asked while buying a sport drink. 

"Kagami was gonna run into us just now, I can track his way back to Kuroko," he looked more confused; how do I explain to him something that I don't understand myself?

When I was immobilized by his body pressed against mine, all my senses seemed to be ruled by him, and I tried to focus, fearing that someone might see us. At that moment, for a fraction of a second, I became aware of all of our surroundings; I felt the slightest change, and sensing  Kagami's presence was definitely a part of it, but recognizing him.

"We should go," I said walking towards a staircase at the corner of the restaurant with Daiki following behind me. We climbed to the first floor then out of the restaurant to a corridor tracing the one beneath us, then we took the last turn left which lead to a hallway, at the end of that hallway was the fire escape,  I opened the door and started climbing down.

Now we're at the hallway form which Kagami was coming. 

"Emi," I was astonished that he resisted the urge to ask me all this time. "Have you ever been into this building?" 

"Nope! The building plans were hanged at the reception." 

"But they were displaying only the ground floor plan." I'm quiet sure that Daiki didn't see anything displayed, and that was just a guess, however he guessed it right. He followed me into a hall, then out of it to another corridor, I stood there and turned around to face him.

"Yes they only showed the ground floor, but architects tend to trace their plans into upper floors so the columns would be aligned." He stared at me blankly, if he was not planning to understand what I was saying, then he better stop asking, "Kuroko is right behind this corner," I said smirking at him; for the second time in the same day I managed to surprise him. 

Daiki smiled back, then went to see his friend. Kuroko was lying on a bench with a towel covering his face when Daiki placed the sport drink next to him, and walked to the vending machine behind.

"Thank you," said Kuroko as he removed the towel from his face, it took him a moment to realize that it wasn't Kagami who gave him the drink. "Aomine-Kun.." he was rather good at hiding his surprise, though he failed to do the same when he saw me.

"It has been a while, Tetsu.." Daiki was back to his boredom tone, "Satsuki told me that you.." 

Why is he walking towards me? 

Daiki was still talking to Kuroko when he gave me the juice can, then went back to face his blue haired friend.

Banana milk.. I took a sip and almost retched at the taste; the liquid was more sugar than banana or milk. I was still reading the contents of the juice when Daiki took it back from me and began to drink.

"This thing contains seven and a half teaspoons of sugar," I said but he didn't give me as much as a glance; he was still talking to Kuroko and Kagami. I didn't even notice Kagami's arrival, he seemed so excited that he was going to play against Daiki on his first match at Winter Cup. 

"Nothing beats repaying a debt so quickly,"  Kagami said as he took the juice can and crushed it into his hand.

"Hey this is mine," I said annoyed at the fact that he didn't take my permission, even though it was empty, the can was still mine. 

"I'll buy you another one Emi," Daiki said placing a hand on my shoulder, yet he didn't seem to get the point, Kagami wasn't allowed to touch something that belonged to me.

"Kagami kun," Kuroko's voice interrupted my trail of thoughts, "This is Kira Emiyan, Aomine's friend. Nice to see you again Kira-kun." His smile was enough to hold me back.

"Nice to see you too," I did my best to sound polite, but my voice came colder than I intended to. 

"Ah, I'm sorry Kira-kun," Kagami said scratching the back of his head and avoiding my eyes. 

A disrespectful way to apologize. 

He offered me his hand to shake, "I am.." 

"Kagami Taiga," I took his hand, "I was there when you lost to Daiki," even though your grip is stronger than it looked then.

"Daiki?" He repeated after me, I blushed intensely and pulled my hand away. Damn you Daiki, no I mean.. Damn you Aomine for making me a stupid normal human being. 

"Aomine-Kun," Kuroko said, "running into us here wasn't a coincidence; you came to tell us that you're our first opponent, but how did you find us here?" Kuroko's question took us by surprise. 

Now you think that coming up with the most brilliant lie would get you out of any consequential situation, hence save you futile trouble. Well that's wrong. See the thing about the truth, it's irritating, and when said upon the wrong time and the wrong place, normal people fail to react; because they would rather accept the lie, than be be confronted by the truth.

"I tracked your phone Kuroko-kun," Daiki looked at me shocked.

Just when I wanted him to keep his boredom face. 

"Maybe you should disconnect your phone from the Internet every now and then," I finished my thought with a smile, and naturally, Kuroko smiled back, while Kagami sighed and ignored us.

"tsk, save your mind energy to Winter Cup, Tetsu," Daiki took my hand and walked away. When we reached the exit he stopped and looked at me. 

"Never underestimate the power of denial," I said smirking at him once more.


	15. Red Threads!

_Akai Ito.._ Or the Red String. There's a Chinese proverb says that there's an invisible red thread that connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstances. That thread may stretch or tangle, but will never break.

I'm not sure if I believe this completely; if we were to speak logically, then now I'd be tangled in hundreds of threads connecting me to every human just passed me by. But this is not where we seek logic; it's a myth, a myth that I can't get out of my head, because since the moment I set my feet on this town it has been pulling, and _pulling_. Not all hundreds of them, just one dominating thread that keeps us connected, fulfilling the desire of million different fates.

I ignored the unseen force, the cold, and _tried_ to ignore the annoyance that Daiki is more than late. I pulled out my phone to check the time and involuntary read his message for the billionth time..

"I'm sorry, something came up, stay at the station I'll come pick you in a while.." 

It has been an hour since he sent me that message. What was I supposed to understand from _something came up!_  If it was such an important thing, then at least I deserve a proper explanation.

Eventually I left, not distressed by the waiting as much as sitting there restless, observing everyone who passed me; searching.. as if I haven't met a part of  _myself_ yet.

I stood outside for a while to decide which direction I should take to the Metropolitan Gymnasium in which the tournament was held, then I choose -directed by all the voices the sane did not hear - to take the longest route; because obviously common sense always loses against desire. 

Though, what do I really expect? To pass him by in some cold street, my heart leaps, and.. " _Oh! there you are! I've been looking for you!_ "

This is madness. 

I was turning back around when I felt it; the immense force binding us was far more than just one string, rather it was thousands of millions creating a tangled mess of red. Firey as the striking color of his hair.

I couldn't see his face, only the word _Rakuzan_ printed at the back of his white Jersey. The uniform was what forced some awareness into my senses, first I saw Daiki sitting at the steps. Then Kuroko and Kagami with one of their teammates, standing at the lower level. And last, the three strangers who flashed green, yellow and purple, each in a different uniform. 

I walked behind the red headed guy, the aura that brought me here did not even sense my presence. Why was I the only one who felt him, and not the other way around? I felt _superior_ , and my authority was being questioned, hence someone  _must_ be punished. 

Maybe that was how I knew that the feeling didn't belong to me; I never choose violence. 

I reached out for him, but my hand didn't as much as brush his shoulder; the red headed guy was attacking Kagami with the scissor on his hand. But whether it was my touch, or Kagami's reflex; I'll never know which one had saved him from being stabbed.

However Kagami's safety became my second priority when I noticed that the air surrounding the auburn become intimidating; he was radiating anger, and I knew because I felt him; he was angry at the inferior being that touched him from behind. Then everything seemed to go in slow motion. Cognitive scientists tell us that it takes less than a third of a second for our brains to start thinking about a sensory experience. But for a third of a second we were rendered at that position; my hand on his shoulder, and his next to Kagami's bleeding cheek. I could not think or act.

Then he  _glanced_ back at me. 

Now.. Have you ever seen orange eyes? Personally I haven't, except for everyday; the orange pair of eyes looking back at me whenever I stood in front of a mirror, yet there it was, staring at me in Tokyo. 

"Emiyan, this is my former captain Akashi Seijuro," Daiki's voice seemed to come from a far away place, "I thought I told you to wait for me.. Just go find Satsuki, I'll be there in a minute." he was afraid that his friend might attack me next.

_"Sei?"_ the name escaped my lips unconsciously.

" _Emi_.." he said more calmly, as if the two of us just met on a staircase, or in the yard, and were exchanging polite greetings. 

Yet something seemed off; for a heartbeat I thought the lights were playing a wicked game with my eyes, so I pushed his hair back to make sure.

_Heterochromous._ Only one of his eyes reflected mine, the other one was burning with rich red.

I felt vulnerable. Exposed. No! I felt _superior_. In fact I felt numerous things, and I didn't know which emotion belonged to me and which was his. I was starting to panic, only the way he looked at me managed to calm me down; like he just found something he had lost thousands of years ago.

"It needs a trim," he said giving me the scissor.

_His hair;_ I shouldn't be holding his hair to begin with. I took the scissor and trimmed the strands that covered his forehead, long enough to make sure his vision was clear, then I gave it back to him.

 


End file.
